After a trip to China: German politicians attack Emmanuel Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron is pushing for a European pace in the conflict over Taiwan. “The worst thing would be to think that we Europeans should be followers of this issue and adapt to the American rhythm and a Chinese overreaction,” he said in an interview with the French newspaper Les Echos published on Sunday.

Macron continued: “Our priority is not to adapt to the agenda of others in all regions of the world.” It would be a trap for Europeans to get caught up in a moment when their own strategic position in foreign crises becomes apparent. Europe then threatens to become a vassal between the US and China, although one can be a third pole.

Macron was in the People’s Republic last week for a three-day state visit. The interview took place on Friday during the return flight.

Macron’s statements earned him heavy criticism in Germany. CDU foreign politician Norbert Röttgen told the “Bild”:

He accused the French president of dividing and weakening Europe with such naive and dangerous rhetoric.

FDP Secretary General Bijan Djir-Sarai also complained to the newspaper that Macron’s position was not a smart strategy for Europe. The US and Europe must work closely together. SPD politician Metin Hakverdi told the “Tagesspiegel”: “It is a grave mistake, like the West, to be divided in dealing with Beijing.”

In contrast, the left-wing parliamentary group leader Dietmar Bartsch called Macron’s desire for strategic independence for Europe in the “Tagesspiegel” a goal worth pursuing, provided it was linked to the goal of becoming the world’s peacekeeping force.

The communist leadership in Beijing considers independently governed Taiwan part of the People’s Republic and threatens to conquer it. China is trying to isolate Taiwan internationally and resolutely rejects other countries’ official contacts with Taiwan. The conflict in Taiwan is an important topic between China and the United States. Washington has been committed to the island’s defense capabilities since 1979 and supplies weapons. Observers fear a military confrontation between the two world powers.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen traveled to the United States this weekend to meet Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy. In response, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army launched a three-day military maneuver near Taiwan. During the exercise (name: “United Sharp Sword”), attacks on several important targets in Taiwan were simulated, among other things.

The Chinese military has deployed several units around the island “to create a comprehensive encirclement and deterrence,” the military said. The maneuver was a “serious warning about the interaction of Taiwan’s separatist forces with outside forces” — a clear reference to the high-level meeting in Taiwan in the United States. On Monday, the exercise ended as planned after three days.

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(t-online/dm)