White House ‘confident’ in US-French ties despite Macron’s China remarks
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Mr Macron’s (right) remarks to journalists came after he was hosted for a state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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WASHINGTON - The White House said on Monday that it remains “confident” in the US-French relationship after President Emmanuel Macron distanced himself from US policy on Taiwan and warned Europeans not to be American “followers”.
Mr Macron’s remarks to journalists from French business daily Les Echos and news site Politico came after his state visit to China, during which he met President Xi Jinping.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the Biden administration remains “comfortable and confident in the terrific bilateral relationship we have with France”.
Mr Kirby cited President Joe Biden’s personal relationship with Mr Macron and said the United States and France are “working together on so many different issues”, including naval operations in the Asia-Pacific.
Washington and Paris are partners in “a concerted effort by all of us in this vast alliance, this network of alliances and partnerships”, said Mr Kirby.
In his interview, Mr Macron said European countries – among the closest allies the US has – should not get caught in the tense stand-off between Beijing and Washington over the fate of democratic Taiwan.
China regards Taiwan as a renegade province to be reunified, by force if necessary.
The US government, meanwhile, pledges to help Taiwan defend itself.
Mr Macron, who discussed Taiwan with Mr Xi on Friday, warned against Europe being “caught up in crises that are not ours, which prevents it from building its strategic autonomy”.
“The paradox would be that, overcome with panic, we believe we are just America’s followers,” said Mr Macron.
“The worse thing would be to think that we Europeans must become followers on this topic and take our cue from the US agenda and a Chinese overreaction,” he added.
Mr Macron suggested that Europe, which has heavily relied on US military protection since World War II, could be a “third superpower”.
Mr Macron’s bid to distance US allies in Europe from the tense tussle over Taiwan came just before China launched new, large-scale military exercises intended to intimidate the island.
The latest Chinese sabre-rattling was ordered in response to a trip by Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen to the US, including a meeting with House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Politico wrote that “Macron ‘unfollows’ Washington”, while the influential conservative editorial page at The Wall Street Journal wrote that Mr Macron “blunders” and was undermining the Washington-led deterrence against Beijing. AFP
