LISBON, Portugal (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump's use of Twitter to convey his thoughts on policy is perplexing France's finance minister.

Michel Sapin says in a reference to Trump's possible adoption of protectionist trade policies that his stance requires clarification. Sapin said Tuesday, "You don't define your positions through tweets."

Tuesday during a visit to Lisbon, Sapin said he hopes U.S. policies will become clearer and more consistent in negotiations.

Sapin is not the first to be perplexed by Trump's tweeting. In January, the Chinese state run news agency Xinhua criticized what it called Trump's "Twitter diplomacy."

Sapin also defended the European Union against Trump's preference to work with countries bilaterally, saying the 28-nation bloc "is a solution for the world, not a problem."