Top Taiwan leader condemns Macron over China: ‘Are ‘liberté, égalité, fraternité out of fashion?’

A senior Taiwan leader has publicly questioned Emmanuel Macron’s commitment to France’s founding ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity following anger at his comments over ties with Beijing.

In an interview that was supposed to showcase European unity over China, the French president cautioned against being drawn into a crisis over Taiwan driven by an “American rhythm and a Chinese overreaction”.

Mr Macron also called for the European Union to reduce its dependence on the United States and to become a “third pole” in world affairs alongside Washington and Beijing.