China has strongly criticised French President Emmanuel Macron's remarks linking Ukraine and Taiwan, calling them a “double standard” and insisting the two issues are not comparable.

China on Saturday dismissed attempts to draw parallels between the conflict in Ukraine and tensions over Taiwan, calling such comparisons a “double standard.” The criticism was a direct response to comments made by French President Emmanuel Macron during a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue defence summit in Singapore.

In his address, Macron warned that failing to stop the conflict in Ukraine could embolden similar actions elsewhere, notably hinting at the risk of a Chinese move on Taiwan.

China’s embassy in Singapore responded swiftly, posting on Facebook that the Taiwan issue is “entirely an internal affair” and fundamentally different from the situation in Ukraine. “The two are different in nature and not comparable at all,” the statement said, without naming Macron directly but featuring a photo of him speaking at the event.

“If one tries to denounce a 'double standard' with a double standard, the only result we can get is still a double standard,” the embassy added.

China considers Taiwan a breakaway province and has increased military and political pressure on the island in recent years, conducting large-scale drills and asserting that the island has no right to independent statehood. Taiwan’s democratically elected government firmly rejects Beijing’s claims, maintaining that its future should be decided solely by its people.

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