Taiwanese official invokes France’s founding beliefs after Macron’s ‘puzzling’ speech

Taiwan parliament speaker You Si-kun invoked France’s founding beliefs of liberty, equality and fraternity after French President Macron gave a “puzzling” speech on the relation between Taiwan and China.

Taipei,UPDATED: Apr 12, 2023 10:43 IST

French President Emmanuel Macron poses for {a photograph} with Chinese President Xi Jinping after meeting the press on the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China. (Reuters image)

By Reuters: Comments by French President Emmanuel Macron on Taiwan are puzzling, a senior Taiwanese politician said, questioning whether or not or not France’s founding beliefs of liberty, equality and fraternity in the mean time are out of favor.

Macron, in suggestions in an interview on a go to to China that was meant to showcase European unity on China protection, cautioned in opposition to being drawn proper right into a catastrophe over Taiwan pushed by an “American rhythm and a Chinese overreaction”.

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He moreover known as for the European Union to cut back its dependence on the United States and to develop to be a “third pole” in world affairs alongside Washington and Beijing.

Taiwan parliament speaker You Si-kun, writing on Facebook late Tuesday above a screengrab of a report about Macron’s suggestions on Taiwan, questioned the French dedication to freedom.

“Are ‘liberté, égalité, fraternité’ out of fashion?,” he wrote, referring to the official French motto of “liberty, equality, fraternity”.

“Is it OK just to ignore this once it’s part of the constitution? Or can advanced democratic countries ignore the lives and deaths of people in other countries?” added You, one in every of many founders of Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party. “The actions of President Macron, a leading international democracy, leave me puzzled.”

China has been staging military exercise routines spherical Taiwan since Saturday after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen returned from a go to to the United States, the place she met U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

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France, like most nations, has no formal diplomatic relations with Chinese-claimed Taiwan nevertheless maintains a de facto embassy in Taipei and has joined completely different U.S. allies in underscoring the need for peace inside the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan’s abroad ministry on Tuesday sought to downplay Macron’s remarks, though said they’d “noted” what he said.

“The Foreign Ministry expresses its thanks to France for expressing concern about peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait many times and in many different international venues,” along with, as an example on the newest French-British leaders summit, spokesperson Jeff Liu suggested reporters. “This is a continuation of France’s consistent stance and position.”

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Apr 12, 2023