Former US President Donald Trump accused French President Emmanuel Macron of heeding Chinese President Xi Jinping's wishes during Macron's historic closely watched visit to Beijing.
Trump, who is seeking to return to the White House in 2024, has been hostile to China during his presidency, though he has called Xi a "very good friend."
In a television interview, Trump mocked Democratic President Joe Biden's foreign policy, calling it emboldened Russia, North Korea and China, and marginalized the United States' role as world leader, a criticism often leveled at the Trump administration himself.
In an interview with Fox News late Tuesday, Trump said: "You have this crazy world exploding and the United States has absolutely no role. Macron, a friend of mine, ended up yielding to China's wishes."
French reply
A senior French diplomat responded on Wednesday to Trump's remarks, telling reporters they were "despicable", Reuters news agency reported. The diplomat referred to Trump's remarks during a visit to Beijing in November 2017 in which he said "I don't blame China" for the trade deficit.
A French diplomatic source was quoted by AFP as saying that Paris is a "reliable" ally of Washington, but not a "vassal", adding: "We are not followers of the United States for the simple reason that the president wants European sovereignty. We are allies of the United States, and they are reliable, strong, committed, but we are allies who make our own decisions."
At the end of his visit to China last week, Macron called on the European Union to reduce dependence on the United States, and warned against falling into the trap of a crisis over Taiwan driven by "American rhythm and an exaggerated Chinese reaction."
During his presidency, Trump turned against some of America's post-World War II foreign policy principles by questioning the viability of NATO, alienating European partners, and courting rulers accused of authoritarianism.
Trump has accused himself of bowing to the wishes of leaders around the world, such as Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.