What's happening?

Emmanuel Macron is the presidentIn some countries, the leader is called the president. of FranceThe largest country in Western Europe, with a population of over 68 million.. This week, on a trip to ChinaA country in East Asia, home to 1.4 billion people., he said that Europe should not be followers of the USAThe United States of America is a country in North America. It has a population of 329 million. in its disagreements with China.

Different groups have reacted to his words in different ways. Critics say he is getting too close to Chinese leader Xi JinpingThe president of China, who has concentrated power and removed term limits allowing him to serve for life. and turning his back on the rest of the West.

Macron says he is not calling for a break with the USA. He just thinks that Europe should find its own path.

Whatever he meant to say, his comments have upset some - because the USA fears it is losing its influenceHave an effect on something else, and especially persuade them to act in your favour. over Europe.

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For many years, the USA has relied on countries in Europe to back it up while fighting wars around the world. Now, things are changing. Many European countries rely on China and Russia for energy and other products.

And many Europeans say that they no longer trust Americans to make good decisions about politics. But others say not much has changed - France has never liked to support the USA.

Yes! Europe may not have acted to support Ukraine as quickly as the USA would have liked, but it still did act. And many European countries do not want to depend on China.

No! Many in Europe are starting to think about their own interests, rather than the USA's interests. Some think it would be better to have a world without the USA in charge.