Macron: Europe risks trouble on the Taiwan issue – it must find its own way

The situation between the United States and China is very tense. China – Annoyed by the Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wens US visit earlier this week – A large-scale military exercise is currently taking place outside Taiwan.

– We Europeans should not think that we have to follow and adapt to the American rhythm and Chinese overreaction, Emmanuel Macron In interviews with several media outlets, including Les Echos and Politico.

In the interview, Macron highlighted the importance of the EU’s “strategic autonomy”.

– We must be clear about the overlap of our views with those of the United States, but whether it is about Ukraine, relations with China or sanctions, we have a European strategy, he says.

– We must not get involved in worldly chaos and crises that are not ours.

Russia’s massive invasion of Ukraine was high on the agenda during Macron’s three-day visit to Beijing this week. The Taiwan issue was also discussed with the Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Macron stresses that it is not only the Taiwan issue that risks a deterioration in US-China relations.

If the situation escalates too quickly, there is currently a risk that Europe “does not have the time and resources to finance our strategic autonomy, but becomes dependent,” Macron says in the interview.

But over time, according to Macron, Europe could instead become the “third stop” in world politics in a few years.