China slams Macron for 'double standards' after Ukraine-Taiwan comparison
Photo: French President Emmanuel Macron (Getty Images)
China strongly criticized French President Emmanuel Macron’s statement drawing a parallel between Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and a potential takeover of Taiwan, Reuters reported.
Beijing stated that such comparisons are unacceptable and contradict the "one China" principle.
In his speech at the Shangri-La security forum in Singapore, Macron emphasized that if the world allows Russia to take part of Ukraine without consequences, then "what could happen in Taiwan?"
In response, the Chinese Embassy in Singapore released an official statement calling the accusations "double standards" and stating that the situations in Ukraine and Taiwan "are entirely different in nature."
"The two are different in nature and not comparable at all," the statement said, emphasizing that Taiwan is a wholly internal matter for China.
Although Macron was not mentioned directly, his photo from the speech was included in the post.
"If one tries to denounce a 'double standard' with a double standard, the only result we can get is still a double standard," the statement added.
This year, China did not send its defense minister to the forum as usual but limited its delegation to military scientists.
Meanwhile, the United States stressed that Beijing remains an "imminent threat," and any attempt to invade Taiwan would have "devastating consequences for the Indo-Pacific and the world."
According to East Asian diplomats, concerns about the domino effect after a possible Russian victory have been expressed not only publicly but also in private discussions.
China increases pressure on Taiwan
Although a full-scale conflict does not seem inevitable, China is increasing pressure on Taiwan. Since the beginning of President Lai Ching-te’s term, the number of Chinese aircraft crossing the median line has sharply increased.
In response, Taiwan announced plans to raise its defense spending to 3% of GDP and expressed its intention not to rely on "goodwill" from abroad.
China has enhanced its capabilities for a sudden strike on Taiwan by strengthening its air and missile forces.
The Financial Times reported, citing Taiwanese and American officials, that China’s air and missile units are so advanced that they could switch from peacetime to wartime operations at any moment.
