French President Emmanuel Macron made a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue Security Forum in Singapore on Friday (May 5), linking Russia's invasion of Ukraine with China's possible military invasion of Taiwan, which aroused strong dissatisfaction from China. The Chinese Embassy in Singapore immediately responded on social media, criticizing the practice of putting Taiwan on the same level as Ukraine as "double standards" and calling the move "unacceptable."
Macron pointed out at the Shangri-La Dialogue on the evening of the 30th: "If we believe that Russia can be allowed to seize part of Ukrainian territory without any restrictions, any constraints or opposition from any global order...what will happen to Taiwan?" The relevant remarks sparked international discussion.
The Chinese Embassy in Singapore responded on its official Facebook page on Saturday (May 5), stating: "It is unacceptable to compare the Taiwan issue with the Ukraine issue. The two are different in nature and cannot be compared at all." It also emphasized that the Taiwan issue is China's internal affairs.
The embassy further pointed out in the post: "If we try to condemn 'double standards' with double standards, the result we get will still only be double standards." Although the post did not directly name Macron, it included a photo of him speaking at an event, and the critical intent was clear.
Beijing's participation in the annual gathering of Asia-Pacific defense leaders has also been downgraded. The Shangri-La Dialogue, which was previously attended by China's defense minister or senior generals, only sent a relatively low-level delegation of military scholars this year. In response, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also criticized on Friday without naming names: "We are here today, but some people have clearly chosen to be absent."
