French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday reiterated his call for European “strategic autonomy” at an Atlantic Council forum, saying: “Our duty is definitely not to put ourselves in a position to depend of a U.S. decision. “
Why it’s important: It will disappoint some in Washington to hear Macron apply this framework to competition between the US and China.
- If Europe and its partners pursue a strategy of “uniting all against China,” Macron said, this will only make China “increase its regional strategy” and reduce its cooperation on global issues.
- But Europe also cannot treat China fully as a couple, as can the United States, because China is a systemic rival in terms of values and geopolitics in the Indo-Pacific.
- Europe, therefore, must partner with the United States on certain issues, work with China whenever possible, and “try to be the useful player to push China not to diverge further.”
Macron set 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.
- Strengthen protections for intellectual property and fair trade.
- Challenging China in terms of human rights.
More takeaway:
- About Russia, Macron reiterated his stance that regular dialogue with Russia is important for European security, even as some colleagues try to isolate Vladimir Putin.
- About Iran, Macron said he was pleased with 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 introduced and that issues such as ballistic missiles should be put on the table.
It is necessary to emphasize: Macron criticized social media for his decisions to “suddenly cut the microphone” as soon as they were sure Donald Trump was leaving power.
In depth: Macron exploited social media platforms to ban Trump