French leader Macron’s comments leave senior Taiwanese official ‘puzzled’
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French President Emmanuel Macron's comments was meant to showcase European unity on China policy.
PHOTO: AFP
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TAIPEI - Comments by French President Emmanuel Macron on Taiwan are puzzling,
Mr Macron, in comments in an interview on a China trip
He also called for the European Union to reduce its dependence on the United States and become a “third pole” in world affairs alongside Washington and Beijing.
Taiwan Parliament Speaker You Si-kun, writing on Facebook late on Tuesday above a screengrab of a report about Mr Macron’s comments on Taiwan, questioned the French commitment to freedom. “Are ‘liberte, egalite, fraternite’ out of fashion?,” he wrote, referring to the official French motto of “liberty, equality, fraternity”.
“Is it OK just to ignore this once it’s part of the Constitution? Or can advanced democratic countries ignore the lives and deaths of people in other countries?” added Mr You, one of the founders of Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party. “The actions of President Macron, a leading international democracy, leave me puzzled,” he wrote.
China has been staging military exercises around Taiwan
France, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic relations with Chinese-claimed Taiwan, but maintains a de facto embassy in Taipei and has joined other US allies in underscoring the need for peace in the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday sought to downplay Mr Macron’s remarks, though it “noted” what he said.
“The Foreign Ministry expresses its thanks to France for expressing concern about peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait many times and in many different international venues”, including, for example, at the recent French-British leaders summit, spokesman Jeff Liu told reporters. “This is a continuation of France’s consistent stance and position.” REUTERS
