French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated his call for European “strategic autonomy” at an Atlantic Council forum on Thursday, saying, “Our duty, definitely, is not to put ourselves in a situation of depending on a US decision.”
Why it matters: It will be a disappointment for some in Washington to hear Macron apply this framework to competition between the United States and China.
- If Europe and its partners follow a strategy of “uniting everyone against China”, said Macron, it will only make China “increase its regional strategy” and reduce its cooperation on global issues.
- But Europe also cannot treat China entirely as a partner, on the same level as the US, because China is a systemic rival when it comes to values and geopolitics in the Indo-Pacific.
- Europe, then, must ally itself with the United States on certain issues, work with China whenever possible and “try to be a useful actor to pressure China not to diverge further”.
Macron established four priorities when it comes to China:
- Work with permanent members of the UN Security Council to seek convergence on security issues.
- Cooperate with China on climate change.
- Strengthening the protection of intellectual property and fair trade.
- Challenging China in human rights.
More tips:
- In Russia, Macron reiterated his position that regular dialogue with Russia is important for Europe’s security, even when some colleagues seek to isolate Vladimir Putin.
- In Iran, Macron said he welcomed Biden’s desire to negotiate with Iran and said: “I will be here … to try to be an honest broker and a committed broker in this dialogue.” He added that Israel and Saudi Arabia should be included, and issues such as ballistic missiles should be discussed.
Worthless: Macron attacked social media for its decisions to “suddenly turn off the microphone” once they were sure that Donald Trump was stepping down.
Go deeper: Macron blasts social media platforms for banning Trump