PARIS (Reuters) -French President Emmanuel Macron is not backtracking on comments in China urging the European Union to reduce dependency on the United States, a senior diplomat said on Wednesday.
In an interview with news outlet Politico and daily Les Echos, Macron also cautioned against being drawn into a crisis over Taiwan driven by an “American rhythm and a Chinese overreaction.”
That brought criticism from some politicians and commentators in Europe and the United States, with former U.S. President Donald Trump accusing him of “kissing ass” to Beijing.
The French diplomat, who requested anonymity, told reporters that the substance of what Macron said, which focused on his pet project of European strategic autonomy, was clear, and his position on Taiwan and China has not changed.
“This is something the president stands by entirely,” he said of the interview.
However, the Politico headline “Europe must…
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