⚠️ THREAD Some quotes on world order/China/Indo-Pacific from President Macron’s speech at the 2019 ambassadors' conference 🇫🇷🐓 (author’s translation, official version elysee.fr/emmanuel-macro…) @FRS_org @TheEIU_Asia @USAsiaPacific @CFR_Asia @CECCgov @ChinaBriefJT @CSISFreeman
2/ The international order is being shaken up in a new way (…) a great
upheaval that is undoubtedly taking place for the first time in our history in almost every field, with a deeply historical magnitude.
3/ We are probably experiencing the end of Western hegemony over the
world. (…) Things are changing. And they are deeply shaken by the
mistakes of Westerners in certain crises (...) And it is also the
emergence of new powers whose impact we have undoubtedly long
underestimated.
4/ If we continue to do as before (...) Europe will disappear with the erasure of this Western moment and the world will be structured around two main poles: the United States of America and China. And we will
have a choice between dominations.
5/ I also think that pushing Russia away from Europe is a profound
strategic mistake because that we are pushing Russia into isolation
that increases tensions, or to join forces with other major powers
such as China, which does not would not be in our best interest at
all.
6/ Our role as a balancing power must also be exercised in Asia. China
has changed, the world has changed with it and we must build the 21st
century Euro-Chinese partnership, and our country within Europe, with
🇩🇪 and 🇬🇧, has a historic role to play in this regard.
7/ It is essential to systematically integrate this European approach by working along three priority axes: (1) an economic and trade agenda that is part of the multilateral framework but that makes it possible to achieve complete results, particularly in terms of reciprocity...
8/ (2) a multilateral agenda focused on climate and biodiversity, and China has become our ally on this multilateral agenda, profoundly changing the situation in new ways...
9/ and finally, (3) a Eurasian agenda that allows a better convergence
between the Chinese initiative on the new silk routes and the European
connectivity strategy.
10/ This construction must be done in a respectful and demanding manner. We respect China's interests and sovereignty, but China too must fully respect our sovereignty and unity, and in this respect the European dynamic is essential.
11/ We made profound mistakes 10 years ago on this subject. Europe (...) has pushed several states into forced privatisations (...) and has
methodically decided itself to reduce its sovereignty by delivering
many essential infrastructures in southern Europe to the Chinese.
12/ I also ask you to fully mobilize yourself to build a French strategy in the Indo-Pacific axis, and this is the complement to this Chinese strategy.
13/ If we want to be respected by China, we must first have a European
approach, which I have just said, but we must also weigh in with the
powers in the region. This is essential. @EUAmboChina @euinkorea @EUinJapan
14/ France has more than a million inhabitants in this region through its
overseas territories, we have more than 8,000 soldiers, we are one of
the main maritime powers in this region, among the only ones to
conduct real military operations in the China Sea and on these oceans.
15/ we must revisit this region first of all by acknowledging that we are
a power of this region, but by developing an alliance, if I may say
complementary, not confrontational but complementary to this relationship with China through this indopacific axis.
16/ Our partners are India, Australia, Japan, Indonesia and
Singapore on this subject, each on different axes according to
complementary logics. @AmbJaponFR @Indian_Embassy
17/ We have implemented it militarily and we still need to strengthen it,
but the minister at the Shangri-La meeting was able to present it a
few months ago. We must now fully implement it in the diplomatic,
economic, climate and technological fields.
18/18 If we want to succeed on technological sovereignty and that of
connections we must play on the Indo-Pacific axis. END
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