| France’s Defense Minister Florence Parly. © AFP=News1 © News1 Reporter Jeong Yun-young |
Angered at the launch of the US-British-Australia security alliance ‘AUKUS’, France canceled the defense ministers’ meeting with the UK after drawing out a ‘Summon Ambassador’ card. A crack is forming in the US allied front to contain China.
According to Reuters/AFP news on the 20th, the US, UK, and Australia unilaterally canceled the meeting between the defense ministers with the UK as they did not have enough ambassador summons to France, which was left out in the process of building a security cooperation to contain China in the Indo-Pacific region. .
French defense minister Florence Parly was scheduled to meet with British defense minister Ben Wallace in London this week, citing two sources, Reuters reported, but the minister, outraged by the “orcus,” decided to cancel the meeting. told
Occus countries are struggling to appease France’s disappointment.
Embarrassed by France’s unilateral cancellation, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told reporters on the way to the UN General Assembly in New York, “We are very proud of our relationship with France. Britain’s love for France does not change.” tried to shorten it.
Prime Minister Johnson also said that France, Mali, and the Baltic Sea are conducting joint military operations, and are jointly conducting a simulated nuclear test program.
US President Joe Biden also requested a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he “understands France’s disappointment.”
Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison held a joint press conference via video on the 15th to announce the signing of a trilateral security partnership called ‘Ocus’, sharing information and technology, It promised a wide range of cooperation, including industry and supply chain integration.
In response, France immediately summoned the French ambassadors to the United States and Australia in protest against President Joe Biden’s agreement to support the development of nuclear-powered submarines in Australia without consulting with its officials on the 18th.
This is because, with this agreement, France’s $66 billion (about 77 trillion won) contract to build a submarine with Australia in 2016 became a piece of paper.
yoonge@news1.kr
