French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday that being an “ally” of the United States does not mean being a “vassal” of the United States, fully agreeing with controversial statements on Taiwan, France Presse reported, citing Agerpres.

“Being an ally does not mean being a vassal, it does not mean that you no longer have the right to think for yourself,” the French president said at a press conference in Amsterdam on the occasion of an official visit to the Netherlands.

Emmanuel Macron said that France’s position on Taiwan has not changed and that he is sympathetic to the current “status quo” on the island, Reuters reports. “France supports the status quo of Taiwan”, it “supports the policy of one China and the search for a peaceful settlement of the situation”, he added.

Earlier, a French diplomatic source defended Emmanuel Macron in connection with his statements, which caused “confusion” in many Western offices, in particular in Washington: “We are allies of the United States, reliable allies, solid, engaged, but we are allies who decide.” . for ourselves.”

Emmanuel Macron raised a wave of criticism in the United States and Europe, urging the European Union “not to follow” Washington or Beijing in the issue of Taiwan.

“The worst thing would be to think that we Europeans should follow the ‘positions of others on the Taiwan issue’ and adapt to the American pace or Chinese overexcitement,” he said in an interview with the US website Politico and a French economic daily. Les Echos, published on Sunday.

These words were seen as distancing from Washington, while the US has been very sympathetic to Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian offensive.

“The President of the Republic fully accepts what was said,” a diplomatic source insisted to AFP.

According to her, France is not uninterested in the tensions surrounding Taiwan, while China is conducting military exercises to put pressure on the island.

Beijing saw as a threat the meeting last week between Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and Kevin McCarthy, the third person in that position in the US state.

“The president didn’t say we won’t be concerned about the security of Taiwan, he didn’t say we won’t defend an open Indo-Pacific there,” the diplomatic source continued.

The French frigate crossed the Taiwan Strait just as China was conducting its exercises, the quoted source said.

The French president’s statement was also perceived as placing the main responsibility on the Americans for tensions in the region, AFP notes.

“The (French) head of state knows that Joe Biden does not want war,” a French diplomatic source replied. During his trip to China last week, “Xi Jinping told him that he is in favor of a peaceful solution and taking his time on Taiwan,” she added.

Paris also complained about Donald Trump’s “insulting words” to Emmanuel Macron after his visit to China.

“Macron, who is my friend, is with China and is going to kick Xi’s ass,” said the former US president.

During a “wonderful visit” in 2019 to the Forbidden City, “Donald Trump said: ‘I can’t blame China,'” a French diplomatic source recalled critically.