At a Atlantic Council forum on Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated his call for European ‘strategic autonomy’, saying: not.’
Why it matters: It will disappoint some in Washington to hear that Macron is applying the framework to competition between the US and China.
- If Europe and its partners pursue a strategy of ‘joining China all together’, Macron said, it would only lead to China ‘increasing its regional strategy’ and reducing its cooperation on global issues.
- But Europe also cannot fully treat China as a partner, which is not in line with the US, because China is a systematic competitor when it comes to values and geopolitics in the Indo-Pacific.
- Europe must then work with the US on certain issues, where possible with China and ‘try to be the useful player in making China no more different.’
Macron sets out four priorities when it comes to China:
- Work with the permanent members of the UN Security Council to bring about convergence on security issues.
- Work with China on climate change.
- Strengthening protection for intellectual property and fair trade.
- Challenge China on human rights.
More takeaways:
- About Russia, Macron reiterates his view that regular dialogue with Russia is important for Europe’s security, although some colleagues want to isolate Vladimir Putin.
- About Iran, Macron said he welcomed Biden’s desire for negotiations with Iran and said: “I will be here to try to be an honest broker and a dedicated broker in this dialogue.” He added that Israel and Saudi Arabia should be brought in, and issues such as ballistic missiles should be on the table.
Note: Macron blew up social media networks for their decisions to “suddenly cut the microphone” once they were sure Donald Trump was leaving power.
Go deeper: Macron explodes social media platforms to ban Trump