- French President Emmanuel Macron sparks anger and criticism among GOP over stance on Taiwan's democracy
- Macron argues that Europeans should not blindly follow the United States' rhythm regarding the situation
- Macron says China was prioritizing its unity, which Beijing has argued that Taiwan is a part of
French President Emmanuel Macron sparked anger and widespread criticism among GOP lawmakers after he said that Europe should take an independent stance on Taiwan's democracy.
The situation comes after the French leader visits Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Macron argued afterward that Europe should be careful of following what he considered the "American rhythm" in Taiwan.
France's Stance on China-Taiwan Democracy
During an interview, the French president said they want to avoid getting into a bloc versus bloc logic regarding the situation. He argued that the worst thing that Europeans could do was to follow the US and cause an overreaction in China blindly.
Macron noted that the concern for Europeans is unity, which he argued was also what China prioritizes. He argued then that Taiwan was simply a component of that unity from Beijing's point of view, seemingly siding with the Chinese government's stance, as per Fox News.
The French president's remarks follow his trip to China alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for potential discussions regarding Ukraine and other topics. Macron was believed to have planned to urge Beijing to use its relationship with Russia to influence the conflict positively.
Macron's remarks noted that he plans to "build and somehow engage China toward a shared responsibility for peace and stability on international issues," which includes Ukraine, Iran, and North Korea.
On the other hand, China's military on Monday declared that it was "ready to fight" after the completion of its three-day combat exercises around the self-governing island nation of Taiwan. The drills were conducted following Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen's return to the island after a short trip to the United States.
Emmanuel Macron Sparks Anger, Criticism Among GOP
GOP lawmakers have reacted negatively to Macron's recent statements as President Joe Biden's administration is trying to defy Republicans' comments. According to Politico, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Todd Young, argued that the Chinese Community Party (CCP) is considered the most significant challenge to Western society.
On the other hand, the chair of the House Select Committee on China, Mike Gallagher, said that French President Macron's remarks were "embarrassing" and "disgraceful" while also being "geopolitically naive."
The House Foreign Affairs Committee chair, Michael McCaul, added that Macron's views were "disheartening" due to the CCP's threat to Taiwan becoming an international danger to the balance of power.
In a Twitter post, German MP for the Bundestag's foreign committee, Norbert Roettgen, said that the French president managed to make his trip to China into a PR coup for Xi and a foreign policy disaster for Europe as a whole. He added that Macron was making himself even more isolated in his home region, said Reuters.
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