French President Emmanuel Macron has got the Americans in a flap with his comments advocating greater European strategic autonomy and for the old continent to avoid becoming embroiled in a US-China confrontation over Taiwan. Macron made his remarks while traveling back from China where he appeared to have been well received by President Xi Jinping. The trip reportedly garnered several lucrative trade deals for French businesses at a time when Élysée Palace is assailed with nationwide public protests and strikes over economic woes. The American chagrin over Macron’s musings about European strategic autonomy is revealing in at least two ways. The New York Times sniffily accused Macron of playing the “Gaullist card” while the Wall Street Journal censured the French leader for “blundering on Taiwan”, adding, “He weakens deterrence against Chinese aggression and undermines US support for Europe”. Republican Senator Marco Rubio was palpably miffed and demanded that Macron should clarify “quickly” whether he was speaking for Europe as a whole or for France alone. In a huff, Rubio said, “You guys [European leaders] handle Ukraine” because the US would henceforth focus its attention on “China’s threats”. You have to laugh at the misplaced sense of American chivalry. This is …read more
Source:: Ron Paul Institute
