In response to President Emmanuel Macron’s recent comments on Taiwan and the European security alliance with Washington, US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron indicated steps to defuse tensions on Thursday.
The leaders addressed Macron’s state visit to Beijing in the first week of April, when he met with President Xi Jinping for a number of hours, according to comments released by the White House and the Elysee following the conversation.
By telling reporters that European nations shouldn’t become involved in a conflict between China and the United States over democratic, Western-backed Taiwan as he was wrapping up his tour, Macron created a stir.
Macron advised Europe to stay away from “crises that aren’t ours.” Additionally, he reiterated earlier statements advocating for the EU’s “strategic autonomy” from the US, which has played a crucial role in safeguarding Europe ever since it assisted in the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
Their common stances were stressed in the White House statement.
In the statement, it was said that they “discussed President Macron’s recent visit to the People’s Republic of China and their ongoing efforts to advance prosperity, security, shared values, and the rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific region.” They reiterated the importance of preserving tranquility and stability on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
The invasion of pro-Western Ukraine by Russia was another topic of conversation between Biden and Macron, who “reiterated their steadfast support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s brutal aggression,” according to the statement.
The conversation was described by Macron’s office in Paris as a briefing on “the results obtained” from the trip to China.
China has a responsibility to play in helping, in the medium term, to terminate the conflict in line with the values and objectives of the United Nations charter, the statement said, alluding to Macron’s call for China to play a role in negotiating a peace agreement to end the war in Ukraine.
According to the statement, “the two heads of state agreed on the significance of continuing to engage Chinese authorities on this basis.”
Given that communist China has a close relationship with Russia, Washington views Macron’s plan with considerable suspicion.
The French statement on the transatlantic security partnership stressed “the importance of European countries continuing to re-arm themselves in order to take on their responsibilities in sharing the burden of transatlantic security.”
The two presidents “share the same desire to strengthen the current cooperation and to support international law, including the freedom of navigation, in the entire Indo-Pacific region,” it said, echoing US remarks on Taiwan.
Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the EU Commission, traveled to Beijing with Macron, and Biden spoke separately with her on Thursday.
According to a statement from the White House, they also “reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”
In accordance with the statement, the two leaders “discussed President von der Leyen’s recent visit to Beijing and their shared commitment to upholding the rules-based international order, human rights, and fair trade practices.”
The transition to clean energy economy and the Western attempt to stop Russia’s assault on Ukraine were among topics highlighted by Biden, according to the statement.