[HIGHLIGHTS] He called for the establishment of an independent "pole". Macron rejects Europe's subordination to Washington or Beijing on Taiwan issue

French President Emmanuel Macron has called on Europe not to "enter into the logic of bloc-for-bloc" He stressed that it should not be "subservient" to the United States or China in relation to Taiwan. On Friday, Macron discussed with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping the situation in Taiwan.

China began holding military exercises after a meeting between Taiwan's president and U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday in California, to which Beijing promised to respond with "firm and strong" measures.