French President Emmanuel Macron is trying to dispel the notion that he won't stand up to China over Taiwan, after his recent call for Europe to avoid being drawn into a conflict between Beijing and Washington sparked a backlash from allies.
Macron plans to address the issue during a state visit to the Netherlands, where he is also making the case for more joint EU spending and closer control over European supplies of technology and industrial goods.
Macron's recent comments on Taiwan, which promoted the idea of increased strategic autonomy for Europe, drew criticism from some US lawmakers and accusations of being sycophantic towards China from Donald Trump.