The phone call followed Macron’s statements on China policy, which had caused a stir and some displeasure in the western camp. After his visit to China, Macron recommended that the Europeans avoid crises “that are not ours” in view of the recently growing tensions between Beijing and Washington over the Taiwan question. Europe must not be a “follower” on the Taiwan question and must be careful not to become a “vassal”.
For these statements, Macron earned the praise of the Chinese state media. Beijing regards the island of Taiwan as a breakaway territory that it wants to reunite with the mainland – if necessary using military force. In response to a visit to the United States by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wen, the Chinese army recently trained to encircle Taiwan in a major maneuver.
The Elysée Palace in Paris said on Thursday about the phone call between Macron and Biden that the French President had informed his US colleagues about the “results achieved” during his visit to China. In a wording similar to that of the White House, the Elysee Palace said both presidents “share a desire” that international law, including freedom of navigation, should apply “throughout the Indo-Pacific region.”
According to the French, the talks were also about Macron’s efforts to get Beijing to pressure Moscow for a peace solution in Ukraine. In the medium term, China will play a role in bringing about an end to the conflict “in accordance with the principles and goals of the UN Charter,” it said. Macron and Biden agreed to hold talks with Beijing on the Ukraine conflict in this way.
However, Macron’s efforts to increase China’s role in the Ukraine issue are viewed with some skepticism in Washington – due to its proximity to Moscow, Beijing is not seen as an independent mediator between Russia and Ukraine.
Biden also had a separate phone call with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who had met with Chinese President Xi Jinping together with Macron in Beijing. Biden and von der Leyen also stressed the importance of maintaining “peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” the strait between Taiwan and mainland China.
In a speech before her trip to Beijing, von der Leyen made the EU’s future relations with China dependent on Beijing’s position on the Ukraine war.
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