Europe joins forces to contain Beijing in the East Sea 0
French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian speaks at the Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore.
French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian spoke last weekend at the Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore, calling for European naval forces to have a `regular and visible` presence in the region, to maintain
`If we want to contain the risk of conflict, we must defend the principles and do it ourselves,` he said.
According to Foreign Policy, although the French defense minister did not explicitly mention China, his comments were easily understood as a criticism of Beijing, which is fiercely pursuing its unreasonable sovereignty claim in the East Sea by
`If the law of the sea is not respected in waters near China, it will later be threatened in the Arctic, in the Mediterranean, or elsewhere,` Mr. Le Drian said at the Shangri-La Dialogue.
France’s stance marks the latest international effort to restrain China’s tough tactics in the East Sea.
Mr Le Drian said he would soon provide more details on his proposal for regular patrols by European navies.
The timing of the French Defense Minister’s announcement was not coincidental.
Greater EU involvement in the East Sea is something the US has long hoped for, Mira Rapp-Hooper, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, commented.
`The timing of France’s appeal also shows that the European Union (EU) is coming out in support of the court’s decision in the coming weeks,` she said.
France’s involvement in the Asia-Pacific region is not just theoretical.
Mr. Le Drian’s statements over the weekend are also a reminder to China that while the country is trying to convert the economic benefits it brings to Europe into diplomatic advantage, influential countries
