Macron, freshly returned from a visit to China last week, sparked criticism after saying in an interview published Sunday that Europe must not be a "follower" of either Washington or Beijing on Taiwan.
His comments threaten to overshadow a two-day visit to the Netherlands that is meant to highlight a new dynamic between Paris and The Hague after the turning point of Brexit.
Macron, who is accompanied by his wife Brigitte and seven ministers, will dine with Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima, see the hot-ticket Johannes Vermeer exhibition at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, and meet Prime Minister Mark Rutte on a canal boat.
But eyes will now be on the French president's speech on "European sovereignty" in security and economic matters on Tuesday afternoon at the Dutch Nexus institute in The Hague.
He will use the address to present "a doctrine of economic security" against China and the United States, amid European unease over US climate subsidies.
The speech comes after Macron said in an interview with media including French business daily Les Echos and Politico that "we don't want to depend on others on critical issues", citing energy, artificial intelligence and social networks.
Macron's comments in the same interview on Taiwan, that Europe risks entanglement in "crises that aren't ours" and should "depend less on the Americans" in matters of defence, have raised questions, like his past remarks on Ukraine.
- 'Brain death' -
"The worst thing would be to think that we Europeans must be followers and adapt ourselves to the American rhythm and a Chinese overreaction," Macron said after his three-day state visit to Beijing.
"A brain death has occurred somewhere, no doubt," said the director of the Polish Institute of International Relations (PISM), Slawomir Debski, referring to the formulation used by the French president to describe NATO in 2019.
But the White House said Monday it was "confident" in the relationship with France despite Macron's comments.
In the wake of the speech, Paris and The Hague will sign a "pact for innovation" on Wednesday focusing on cooperation in semiconductors, quantum physics and energy.
France and the Netherlands will also work to finalise a defence pact by 2024.
The visit is also meant to seal the growing closeness between two countries that were once at opposite ends of the European spectrum on frugality and social spending.
"Since the start of the war in Ukraine, positions have converged," particularly on European sovereignty, noted the Elysee Palace.
The visit was the "expression of a Franco-Dutch rapprochement" that resulted from the Netherlands losing its traditional EU ally, Britain, due to Brexit, it added.
Macron's is the first state visit by a French leader to the Netherlands since 2000. The Dutch royals paid a state visit to France in 2016.
The French president's domestic political troubles also threaten to intrude on the visit, with a new day of strikes against his pension reform plans planned for Thursday.
W.House 'confident' in US-French ties despite Macron's China remarks
Washington (AFP) April 10, 2023 -
The White House said Monday it remains "confident" in the US-French relationship after President Emmanuel Macron distanced himself from US policy on Taiwan and warned Europeans not to be American "followers."
Macron's remarks to journalists from French business daily Les Echos and news site Politico came after he was hosted for a state visit by China's Xi Jinping.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the Biden administration remains "comfortable and confident in the terrific bilateral relationship we have with France."
Kirby cited President Joe Biden's personal relationship with Macron and said the two countries are "working together on so many different issues," including naval operations in the Asia-Pacific.
Washington and Paris are partners in "a concerted effort by all of us in this vast alliance, this network of alliances and partnerships," Kirby said.
In his interview, Macron said European countries -- among the closest allies the United States has -- should not get caught in the tense standoff between Beijing and Washington over the fate of democratic Taiwan. Communist China has vowed to regain control, while the US government pledges to help Taiwan defend itself.
Macron, who discussed Taiwan with Xi on Friday, warned against Europe being "caught up in crises that are not ours, which prevents it from building its strategic autonomy."
"The paradox would be that, overcome with panic, we believe we are just America's followers," Macron said. "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."
Macron suggested that Europe, which has heavily relied on US military protection since World War II, could be a "third superpower."
Macron's bid to distance US allies in Europe from the tense tussle over Taiwan came just before China launched new, large-scale military exercises intended to intimidate the island.
The latest Chinese saber rattling was ordered in response to a trip by the Taiwanese elected president to the United States, including a meeting with House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Politico wrote that "Macron 'unfollows' Washington," while the influential conservative editorial page at The Wall Street Journal wrote that Macron "blunders" and was undermining US-led deterrence against China.
UN rights chief 'concerned' as China jails rights lawyers
Geneva (AFP) April 10, 2023 -
UN human rights chief Volker Turk said Monday he was "very concerned" after China sentenced two prominent human rights lawyers to more than a decade in jail.
Xu Zhiyong and fellow campaigner Ding Jiaxi were convicted of "subversion of state power" following closed-door trials.
Both were leading figures in the New Citizens' Movement, a civil rights group that called for constitutional reform and criticised government corruption.
"I am very concerned that two prominent human rights defenders in China --Ding Jiaxi and Xu Zhiyong -- have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms, at variance with international human rights law standards," Turk said in a statement.
"Human rights law requires that people not be prosecuted or otherwise punished for voicing their criticism of government policies," he added.
"It also requires respect for fair trial and due process rights, and proper investigations into any allegations of ill-treatment."
Xu, who called for President Xi Jinping to step down over his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, was jailed for 14 years following a closed-door trial in east China's Shandong province, Human Rights Watch said.
Ding was "jailed for 12 years and deprived of political rights for three years", his wife Luo Shengchun told AFP, referring to a punishment in China that bars the convicted from holding public office.
Observers have regularly raised concerns about due process in China, where the courts have a conviction rate of about 99 percent.
"I will follow up on these cases with the authorities," said Turk.
"It is important that steps are taken to ensure that other human rights defenders are not targeted for exercising their human rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly."
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