Macron says Europe should reduce its dependency on US

French President Emmanuel Macron, who visited China last week and received a hospitable reception for three days, including two meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing and Guangzhou, argued that Europe should reduce its dependency on the U.S. without getting caught up in the conflicts between the U.S. and China. As the conflicts between the two countries are sharpening in all areas, including industries and security, the French president emphasized that Europe should voice its own opinions, rather than siding with one.

According to Politico, a U.S.-based political media, President Macron repeatedly emphasized strategic autonomy on Sunday during a press interview on the plane returning from China to France. The president argued that Europe should strengthen its autonomous power to become a third superpower and that France would take the lead. “The biggest threat facing Europe is the lack of strategic autonomy as a result of getting caught up in the crisis caused by the U.S.-China conflicts, which is not ours,” he said.

President Macron stressed that Europe should draw a clear line toward the U.S. and China with regard to the issue of Taiwan. “The paradox would be that, overcome with panic, we believe we are just America’s followers,” he said. “The question Europeans need to answer … is it in our interest to accelerate [a crisis] on Taiwan? No,” he added. “If the tensions between the two superpowers heat up … we won’t have the time nor the resources to finance our strategic autonomy, and we will become vassals.”

The president also argued that Europe had increased its dependency on the U.S. for weapons and energy and must now focus on boosting European defense industries. He also suggested Europe should reduce its dependence on the U.S. dollar, which enjoys extraterritoriality in the global economy.


Eun-A Cho achim@donga.com