Donald Trump Condemns Macron's China Visit, Accusing French President of Appeasement

Former US President Donald Trump has accused French President Emmanuel Macron of appeasing Chinese leader Xi Jinping during Macron's recent high-profile trip to Beijing. Trump, who is considering running for the presidency again in 2024, maintained a contentious relationship with China during his time in office, even though he referred to Xi as his "very good friend."

In a television interview, Trump criticized current President Joe Biden's foreign policy, asserting that it has enabled Russia, North Korea, and China to gain power and has diminished the United States' role as a global leader - a critique that was frequently directed at Trump's own administration.

Trump told Fox News late Tuesday, "You got this crazy world is blowing up, and the United States has absolutely no say. And Macron, who's a friend of mine, is over with China kissing his ass."

A senior French diplomat reacted to Trump's comments on Wednesday, calling them "vile" and reminding reporters of Trump's own words during a November 2017 visit to Beijing, when he stated, "I don't blame China" for the trade deficit.

At the conclusion of his visit last week, Macron urged the European Union to reduce its reliance on the United States and warned against becoming embroiled in a Taiwan-related crisis fueled by an "American rhythm and a Chinese overreaction."

During his presidency, Trump disrupted several aspects of America's post-World War II foreign policy, including questioning the NATO alliance, alienating European allies, and accommodating autocratic leaders.

Trump himself faced accusations of appeasing world leaders, particularly autocrats such as Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong-Un. He openly praised Putin, and his 2016 Democratic presidential rival Hillary Clinton infamously labeled him "Putin's puppet." In 2018, Trump held a summit with Kim and later told supporters at a rally that they "fell in love" after exchanging letters.