Macron sparked Anger by saying Europe should not be a "Vassal" in a US-China Clash

Emmanuel Macron has come under fire after he said Europe should not become a "vassal" and should avoid being drawn into a conflict between the US and China over Taiwan, the Guardian reported.

The French president made the remarks in an in-flight interview after a three-day state visit to China, where he was greeted on the red carpet by Chinese President Xi Jinping, a display that alarmed some European China watchers.

Speaking to reporters from Les Eco and Politico, Macron said Europe should be a third power in the world order, along with the US and China. While the comments confirmed his long-term goal of "strategic autonomy" for Europe, namely avoiding military and economic dependence, his remarks on Taiwan sparked anger and concern on both sides of the Atlantic.
Macron said: "The paradox would be that, panic-stricken, we believe that we are simply followers of America. The question that Europeans must answer is whether it is in our interest to accelerate (the crisis) in Taiwan. No. It would be worse to think that we Europeans should become followers of this topic and take a cue from the US agenda and China's overreaction."

He added that it would be a "trap for Europe", which has now developed more autonomy after the COVID-19 pandemic, to be drawn into crises "that are not ours". "If the tension between the two superpowers heats up ... we will not have the time and resources to finance our strategic autonomy and we will become vassals, whereas we could become the third pole (in the world order) if we have a few years to develop that."

Macron added that the need for Europe's "strategic autonomy" was now widely accepted and there had never been "such...