Macron on Taiwan: France leader says being a US ally does not mean being a vassal

French President Emmanuel Macron has stood by recent controversial comments about Taiwan, in which he said France should not get caught up in an escalation between the US and China.

He made the comments in an interview over the weekend following his three-day state visit to China.

He also said that being a US ally did not mean being a "vassal".

His remarks have drawn criticism from politicians and other public figures on both sides of the Atlantic.

Former US president Donald Trump accused Mr Macron of cosying up to China.

He said he had no response to these comments as they were an example of "escalation" that some have resorted to.

The White House has played down the remarks, saying that the Biden administration remains "comfortable and confident in the terrific bilateral relationship we have with France".

Taiwan's foreign ministry has taken a similar stance, but has said it "noted" Mr Macron's comments.

A senior Taiwanese official, however, said the remarks left him "puzzled".

"Are 'liberté, égalité, fraternité' out of fashion?," wrote parliament speaker You Si-kun on social media, referring to France's motto of "liberty, equality, fraternity".

"Is it OK just to ignore this once it's part of the constitution? Or can advanced democratic countries ignore the lives and deaths of people in other countries?"

China, meanwhile, has praised Mr Macron's comments and said it wasn't surprised at the criticism.

"Some countries do not want to see other nations become independent and self-reliant, and instead always want to coerce other countries into obeying their will," foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said.

Despite the backlash, Mr Macron stuck by his remarks on Wednesday.

"Being an ally does not mean being a vassal... doesn't mean that we don't have the right to think for ourselves," Mr Macron said at a press conference in the Netherlands during his two-day visit.

The president also said that nothing had changed in France's support for the "status quo" in Taiwan and that Paris "supports the One China policy and the search for a peaceful resolution to the situation".

Self-ruled Taiwan sees itself as distinct from the Chinese mainland, with its own constitution and democratically-elected leaders.

But Beijing sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that will eventually be under its control and has never renounced the use of force as a means to do this.

While the US diplomatically acknowledges China's position that there is only one Chinese government, President Joe Biden has vowed to intervene militarily to protect Taiwan if it is attacked.

President Tsai said on Saturday that her government would continue working with the US and other democracies as the island faced "continued authoritarian expansionism" from China.