A trip to China by president of France, Emmanuel Macron, and the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, ended in a full week of controversy in the European Union.
Ednews informs via POLITICO that Macron's comments about Taiwan and his call for European "strategic autonomy" sparked controversy as he advocated for the EU not to become followers of the US and China including on the matter of Taiwan's security. The comments were published in two media outlets after Macron visited China last week, where he met with President Xi Jinping.
His words didn't please Washington but didn't please some of his EU counterparts either.
And while French diplomats focused this week on post-Macron damage control, the president doubled down on his initial remarks.
"France supports the status quo in Taiwan. France supports the one-China policy and the search for a peaceful settlement of the situation. This is the position of the Europeans and it is a position that has always been compatible with the role of ally," said Macron.
"It is precisely here that I insist on the importance of strategic autonomy between allies does not mean being vassal. It is not because we are allies that we do things together that we decide to do, that we no longer have the right to think alone.”
Meanwhile, Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is the latest top EU politician to visit China.