French President Emmanuel Macron’s comments about Taiwan are confusing, a senior Taiwanese politician said, wondering whether French ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity have fallen out of fashion.
Macron, making the comments in an interview on a trip to China intended to showcase European unity in China policy, warned against getting drawn into the crisis over Taiwan, which is being driven by “American rhythm and Chinese overreaction”.
He also called for the European Union to reduce its dependence on the United States and become a “third pole” in world affairs alongside Washington and Beijing.
Writing on Facebook late Tuesday above a picture of a news report about Macron’s comments in Taiwan, Taiwan Parliament Speaker You Si-kun questioned France’s commitment to freedom.
“Has ‘liberté, égalité, fraternité’ gone out of fashion?” he wrote, referring to the official French motto “liberty, equality, fraternity”.
“Is it okay to ignore it once it’s part of the constitution? Or can advanced democratic countries ignore the lives and deaths of people in other countries? added Vy, one of the founders of Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party. “The actions of President Macron, the leading international democracy, leave me bewildered.
China has been holding military exercises around Taiwan since Saturday after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen returned from a trip to the United States where she met with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
France, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic relations with China-claimed Taiwan, but maintains a de facto embassy in Taipei and has joined other US allies in emphasizing the need for peace in the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry tried to play down Macron’s remarks on Tuesday, although it said it had “noted” what he said.
“The Foreign Office expresses its gratitude to France for expressing its concerns for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait many times and in many different international venues,” spokesman Jeff Liu told reporters, including at the recent summit of French-British leaders. “It is a continuation of the consistent attitude and position of France.”
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