French President Emmanuel Macron has sparked controversy by urging Europe to take an independent stance from both the US and China over Taiwan. Macron warned against thinking that Europeans should "become followers on this topic and adapt to the American rhythm or a Chinese overreaction." He suggested Europe should become a "third pole" in the matter. The French president's position drew criticisms from both sides of the Atlantic with Germany's Norbert Roettgen calling it a "foreign policy disaster" for Europe while US Republican Senator Marco Rubio drew parallels to the Ukraine war. Rubio wondered if Europe's reluctance to pick a side in the Taiwan matter meant the US should remain neutral in the Ukraine conflict as well. Macron had made the comments during his recent visit to China, where he was criticized for showing too much deference to Beijing. There remains a military standoff between China and Taiwan with Beijing considering Taiwan as its own territory. Nonetheless, Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-Wen recently met with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, prompting China to carry out military exercises near the island.