Macron says France doesn’t believe in ‘confrontation’ in Asia as US-China power struggle intensifies

The French president told business leaders at the Apec summit that Paris wants to play a stabilising role in the region to avert conflict

He also urged Asian countries to join the ‘increasing consensus’ against the war in Ukraine

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French President Emmanuel Macron addresses the APEC CEO summit in Bangkok on Friday. Photo: AFP

Published: 2:51pm, 18 Nov 2022Updated: 2:57pm, 18 Nov 2022

President Emmanuel Macron on Friday urged an end to “confrontation” as he outlined his vision for France’s engagement with the Asia-Pacific region.

Macron is attending the 21-strong Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Bangkok as he seeks to relaunch France’s strategy for the region in the face of growing US-China competition.

France wants to play a stabilising role in the region to avert confrontation, Macron told a gathering of business leaders on the sidelines of the summit.

“We don’t believe in hegemony, we don’t believe in confrontation, we believe in stability,” Macron said.

He said regional powers including France – which has overseas territories in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, including Reunion, New Caledonia and French Polynesia – should play a role.

“We are in the jungle and we have two big elephants, trying to become more and more nervous,” Macron said in his speech, which he gave in English.

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