Macron's China Controversy Explained

Although I agree with the EU becoming less reliant on the USA, I really think Macron shouldn't have said a word about Taiwan, also if he himself says Europe shouldn't get involved in crisis that aren't ours how will he convince countries in places like Africa and South America to help Ukraine with a war that is nowhere near these countries?

I don't think anyone in the EU is opposed to a more autonomous military position (while still being allied with the US). I think what people are outraged about are his comments regarding Taiwan. Recognizing that a takeover by a bigger neighbor in Ukraines case would be indefensible but not in Taiwan case is a huge injustice and a ridiculous double standard. The people want our leaders to stand up to the bully countries and help defend the smaller ones that can't do it on their own.

Macrón- "Just because the front of the boat is on fire doesn't mean WE should help fix it. I think the back of the boat shouldn't involve themselves in the affairs of the front of the boat."

Macron is like:

I’ll sell you France for £2

I'm not much of a geopolitical mastermind, but cosying up to a dictator who got 2960 votes for him becoming dictator for life, with 0 abstaining and 0 opposing, seems like a really stupid idea.

As an American, the idea that Europe would want "strategic autonomy" doesn't strike me at all as illegitimate. I would argue thought that they already enjoy plenty of it. European countries were free, for example, not to participate in the Iraq invasion (and France was wise not to) and to criticize the US for doing it. What I find so astounding is his willingness to kiss up to Xi Jinping solely to spite the US, even though China invading Taiwan would cause a global economic disaster that would very much affect France. It is Europe's crisis, whether he wants it to be or not. As Trotsky said, "you may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you." Why does "strategic autonomy" require France to appease an expansionist dictator?

"Europe doesn't want to get caught up in a great power competition" it's solution is to become an independent great power that will then compete in great power competitions. As a Canadian watching French apply their special brand of logic i find this hilarious

Sooo when the USA protects Europe all is good but when it's time for US Europeans to have their back, Macron pulls the classic "we shouldn't intervene in problems that are not ours" move. This infuriates me so much.. that some European leaders can be such spineless buffons.

I don't see why European autonomy is being treated as synonymous with being friendly to China and indifferent to Taiwan. I agree that Europe should seek to be less reliant on the US for things like military support, but I don't see what that has to do with China.

The US protection of Taiwan is not just some pet project, and the main beneficiaries of Europe contributing to this are the population of Taiwan, not the US. Additionally, wariness toward China doesn't need to just stem from the US seeing them as a rival. China is a severely authoritarian country that does not align with current European democratic values. After making the mistakes of being so close to Putin, Europe would do well to not now try to get cosy with Xi Jinping the same way.

I do not understand, as a very pro-EU European that supports further integration as well as the idea of strategic autonomy, why we have to choose between siding with our allies (Japan, USA, Korea, other democratic powers) and obtaining strategic autonomy. If anything, one complements the other. We have to be a strong independent power so that we can measure up to our allies and have a saying in what they do (e.g. discourage another Iraq-like debacle), as well as be able to defend ourselves so that the US can focus its resources on protecting our key allies' borders in other continents. Why can't we be an independent power that still takes a stand against autocratic imperialism???

That’s really rich coming from the country that interfered in almost every continent at one point in time.

Macron had a huge opportunity to show how the EU can be independent when the Ukrainian War started. Instead he tried to find a peace process that would suit Russia.

Of course Europe should have autonomy and not be led into a direction they are uncomfortable with. I think the main problem is the sentiment that he thinks Europe shouldn’t interfere with the Taiwan matter. That could change the whole calculus of the matter and help Xi decide he should strike now.

In the event that the USA’s “America First” isolationists take over and America washes its hands of Europe, I also fear there would be immediate quarreling between European powers. Maybe worse eventually.

If we don't support Taiwan, why should anyone support Europe in its time of need? Democracies have to support each other to stand a chance.
Especially since the armies of Europe are hardly up for the task to defend itself from Russia or China.
We need allies if we want to preserve our way of life. But this involves us to stand with others also, in their time of need.

If we had taken Macrons view in 1941,his national language today would be German. If he really wants to have autonomy, he can deal with the Russian tanks in Paris all by himself and see how that goes.

If Europe has this mentality toward Taiwan it would be scary to think if the US had this mentality toward Ukraine..

it still amazes me that Macron was spineless for so much time - first willing to sell eastern europe when the war in Ukraine startedm and now this scummy move

Someone once said "For evil to foster, it only takes good men to do nothing." Europe has reneged on it's own security commitments. It didn't intervene in the Balkans when the ethnic cleansings were being done in it's own backyard. It deliberately courted good relations with Russia to get cheap oil/gas turning blind eye on the expansionist forays Moscow was undertaking. As another famous leader said "I don't fear a competent enemy, I fear an incompetent ally."

We have seen this with Germany too, it seems being surrounded by allies for so long has made these countries complacent, while geopolitical adversaries eat away at the EUs borders and more vulnerable member states.

As an American, I support European autonomy. That being said, if the Europeans are potentially not going to help the US in a China-Taiwan conflict, then why exactly are we being expected to help Ukraine so much? I support helping Ukraine, but I feel it is hypocritical of our European allies to not help us when we contribute so much to European security.