The controversy over the words of French President Emmanuel Macron, according to which France is an ally but not a "vassal" of the United States, has not subsided, particularly with regard to Washington's policy on the crisis between China and Taiwan.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius called Emmanuel Macron's comment "unfortunate".
On a visit to Mali, Pistorius said: "I found this statement not very happy but I think that the Elysium has already corrected it in some way. We have never risked becoming or being vassals of the United States".
For her part, the German Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, who is on a mission to China today, assured that Europe has a common approach on the issue of Taiwan.
The head of the Elysée, recalled Baerbock, yesterday "underlined once again that the French policy on China mirrors the European one one by one", because "in the central questions relating to our interests and our values, it is not only that we are
simply on neighboring positions, but we have common strategic approaches".
According to the Polish premier Mateusz Morawiecki, instead "Europe is shortsighted about China".
Speaking to media during his visit to Washington, the Warsaw prime minister said European leaders had made a potentially historic mistake in trying to strengthen ties with China.
"European leaders prove to be short-sighted if they turn to China to be able to sell more EU products there at a huge geopolitical cost and thus we become more dependent on Beijing," Morawiecki underlined.
Even tougher is the president of the EPP, the German Mafred Weber, according to whom "Macron's statements have divided the West and strengthened our autocratic competitors".
"It was a false start for an rather urgent debate on Europe's relations with China", added Weber, informing that "we have asked for a plenary debate next week to assess the damage and find a more constructive way forward" .
