France's Macron: EU shouldn't follow US or China on Taiwan

The French president called for the EU to implement its stated policy of "strategic autonomy" and argued the bloc could become a "third pole" alongside China and the US.

French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated his calls for the EU to maintain an independent foreign policy in a Sunday interview for French business daily Les Echo.
"We don't want to get into a bloc versus bloc logic," he said, arguing that Europe "should not be caught up in a disordering of the world and crises that aren't ours."

The remarks follow a visit to China by Macron and other EU officials which included a meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping. Among other issues, the leaders discussed tensions around Taiwan and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Macron stressed that an escalation on Taiwan was not in the EU's interest.

"The question asked of us Europeans is the following: is it in our interest for there to be acceleration on the topic of Taiwan? No. The worst thing we Europeans could do would be to be followers on this topic and to adapt to the American rhythm and a Chinese overreaction. Why should we go at a rhythm chosen by someone else?