China slams Macron for his remarks on Taiwan, vows to oppose NATO's expansion in Asia-Pacific

Beijing, Jun 4 (PTI) China on Wednesday sharply criticised French President Emmanuel Macron for equating the Ukraine and Taiwan conflicts and his call for Asian countries to align with Europe, saying Beijing will firmly oppose any attempts by NATO to advance into the Asia Pacific.

"We firmly oppose relevant remarks. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory... The Taiwan question and the Ukraine crisis are not comparable at all,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a media briefing here while responding to a question on Macron’s speech at the recent Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

In his speech which raised eyebrows in both the US and China, Macron appealed to Asian countries to build a new alliance with Europe to ensure they do not become "collateral damage" in the struggle for power between the US and China.

Among the guests listening to Macron were US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, as well as top military officials from the region.

Macron pointed out that if Russia could take Ukrainian territory "without any restrictions, without any constraints… what could happen in Taiwan? What will you do the day something happens in the Philippines?", BBC quoted him as saying.

Many in Asia worry of instability in the region should China attempt to forcibly "reunify" with Taiwan, a self-governing island that Beijing claims as part of its territory, the BBC report said.

China has also increasingly clashed with the Philippines over competing claims in the South China Sea.

Asserting Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, Lin said China firmly opposes any remarks and moves that seek to mischaracterise or distort the nature of the Taiwan question.

On the conflict in the South China Sea, Lin said the current situation in the region is generally stable.

There isn’t any problem with the freedom of navigation and overflight that countries enjoy in accordance with the law in the South China Sea, he said.

China claims most of the South China Sea. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claims.

Lin also said Beijing will oppose any attempts by NATO to expand towards Asia Pacific to oppose or contain China.

“As a regional defensive organisation, NATO has no right to reach beyond its geographical scope and mandate defined by its treaty,” he said.

“China firmly opposes NATO’s attempt to advance eastward into the Asia-Pacific, stir up tensions and create confrontation in the region, and sabotage regional and even global peace and stability. Asia-Pacific countries do not welcome NATO in the Asia-Pacific and the region certainly does not need an Asia-Pacific NATO,” he said. PTI KJV ZH ZH