Macron says Europe must cut reliance on US dollar, seek ‘strategic autonomy’

French President Emmanuel Macron has called on European countries to lower their dependence on the US dollar and resist pressure to become vassal states of Washington or get dragged into the China-US conflict over Taiwan.

Speaking to media persons on his plane back from a three-day state visit to China., Macron said Europe should reduce its dependence on the “extraterritoriality of the US dollar", a stance that is likely to raise eyebrows in Washington.

“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,” he warned, urging his fellow European leaders to become self-reliant. 

He said “the great risk” Europe face is that it gets "caught up in crises that are not ours, which prevents it from building its strategic autonomy", urging European leaders to focus on staying out of a potential conflict between Washington and Beijing over Taiwan.

"The worst thing would be to think that we Europeans must be followers and adapt ourselves to the American rhythm and a Chinese overreaction," he told media, including French business daily Les Echos and Politico.

Macron was on a three-day state visit to Beijing, during which he spent around six hours with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss global issues.

“The paradox would be that, overcome with panic, we believe we are just America’s followers,” Macron said in the interview.

“The question Europeans need to answer … is it in our interest to accelerate [a crisis] on Taiwan? No. The worse thing would be to think that we Europeans must become followers on this topic and take our cue from the US agenda and a Chinese overreaction."

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Macron and Xi discussed Taiwan “intensely,” according to a Politico report citing French officials accompanying the president.

“Europeans cannot resolve the crisis in Ukraine; how can we credibly say on Taiwan, ‘watch out, if you do something wrong we will be there’? If you really want to increase tensions that’s the way to do it,” the French president remarked.

Macron, according to reports, also urged Europe to reduce its dependence on the US for weapons and energy and focus on boosting local industries. 

China and France, reports said, agreed to “deepen exchanges between the militaries of two countries in the current geopolitical environment”.

Hours after his flight headed back to Paris from Guangzhou, Beijing launched large military exercises around the self-ruled island of Taiwan and the US Navy destroyer also sailed in the South China Sea on Monday.

On Sunday, Taiwan’s defense ministry said they had detected 71 Chinese military aircraft and nine ships around Taiwan in 24 hours. Of these, 31 aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line.

The PLA Daily published a series of articles warning the Taiwanese authorities against maintaining close ties with the US.

“This is a serious warning against the collusion and provocation of ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces and external forces, a legitimate and necessary action to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity," read one of the articles. 

"A demonstration to the world that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has thwarted all ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist activities and external interference."

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