The situation between the US and China is very tense. China – angered by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wen’s visit to the United States earlier this week – is currently carrying out a large-scale military exercise outside Taiwan.
— We Europeans should not think that we have to follow and adapt to the American rhythm and the Chinese overreaction, Macron says in an interview with several media, including Les Echos and Politico.
In the interview, Macron highlights the importance of the EU’s “strategic autonomy”.
— We must be clear about where our views overlap with those of the United States, but regardless of whether it is about Ukraine, relations with China or sanctions, we have a European strategy, he says.
— We must not get entangled in a worldly mess and crises that are not ours.
Russia’s major invasion of Ukraine was high on the agenda during Macron’s three-day visit to Beijing this week. Taiwan was also discussed with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Macron emphasizes that it is not only the Taiwan issue that risks worsening relations between the US and China.
If the situation escalates too quickly, there is currently a risk that Europe “does not have the time and resources to finance our strategic autonomy, but becomes a vassal,” Macron says in the interview.
But given time, according to Macron, Europe could instead become a “third leg” in world politics in a few years.