Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

Je ne regrette rien: Macron defends his comments on not being US ‘vassal’ over Taiwan

Je ne regrette rien: Macron defends his comments on not being US ‘vassal’ over Taiwan

France has no lessons to learn from anyone, the president said.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday insisted that France's dispatch of a frigate to Taiwan showed its commitment to regional security, but doubled down on his remarks that France would not act as a "vassal" by following U.S. hardliners into a conflict over the democratic island.

"Being allies doesn't mean being vassals ... Just because we are allies, just because we do things together that we decide to do, doesn't mean that we don't have the right to think on our own and that we will follow the most extreme people in a country that is allied with us," Macron said during a joint press conference with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on a visit to the Netherlands.

"When we look at the facts, France has no lessons to learn from anyone, not in the Ukrainian theater, nor the Sahel theater, nor the Taiwan theater," Macron said.

His comments come after he told POLITICO and the French newspaper Les Echos that Europe should avoid being ensnared in conflicts that were not its affair, and should not act as "followers" of the U.S. when it came to the defense of Taiwan. His remarks triggered deep concern over the transatlantic alliance just as the U.S. is providing the lion's share of military assistance to Ukraine, and Communist China is making increasing bellicose moves on Taiwan.

China considers the island part of its territory, a claim rejected by Taipei. “The paradox would be that, overcome with panic, we believe we are just America’s followers,” Macron said in the interview.

Answering repeated questions on these comments, the French president said his position was "very clear" and argued that his comment didn't trigger a backlash from the White House.

"The position of France and the Europeans is the same on Taiwan. We are in favor of the status quo and this policy is constant, it has not changed, it is the One China policy and the search for a peaceful settlement of the issue," Macron said, noting that "this position has always been compatible with the role of allies."

While defending Macron, France's Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire on Wednesday accused Washington of applying double standards when it comes to trade with China.

"Some, for example in the United States, say that we should completely decouple Western economies, American or European, from the Chinese economy. What I see is that the volume of trade between China and the United States has never been so high .... we are asking Europe to give up trade that has increased between the United States and China. We don't want to be the village idiots, who get screwed and let other powers trade with China while we would no longer have the right to do so."

Le Maire declined to respond to reporters asking him whether he would visit Taiwan, if invited.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
×