Latest news with #Asie
Japan Times
30-05-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
Macron calls for Europe and Asia to unite and resist ‘spheres of coercion'
French President Emmanuel Macron used a keynote speech Friday at Asia's top regional security conference to call on European and Indo-Pacific nations to pursue "strategic autonomy" — avoiding picking sides between China and the United States — and instead forge 'coalitions of action' while standing up to 'spheres of coercion.' 'Our shared responsibility is to ensure with others that our countries are not collateral victims of the imbalances linked to the choices made by the superpowers,' Macron said in a keynote speech to kick off this year's Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore. Speaking before hundreds of delegates from 47 countries and regions, including the U.S. and Japanese defense chiefs, the French leader urged Europe and Asia to 'build a positive new alliance ... based on our common norms, on our common principles.' The remarks by Macron, who is on the final leg on a three-nation Southeast Asian tour that has also taken him to Vietnam and Indonesia, come as European powers have been ramping up their presence in the Indo-Pacific, engaging in a flurry of bilateral and multilateral military activities and inking cooperation and defense-industrial tie-ups with 'like-minded' partners amid concerns that a crisis similar to the war in Ukraine could erupt in Asia. 'The time for nonalignment has undoubtedly passed, but the time for coalitions of action has come and requires that countries capable of acting together give themselves every means to do so,' the 47-year-old Macron said, urging Asians and Europeans to 'show consistency where others practice a double game.' In an apparent jab at the U.S. and China, Macron pressed for building new coalitions focused on issues such as trade, defense, supply chains, the environment as well as to 'stabilize' an open and rules-based order where sovereignty is respected, borders are inviolable and force cannot be used as a means of domination. 'We must cultivate the spirit of independence and the desire for cooperation,' he said, expressing his hopes of deepening engagement with India, Southeast Asian countries and the 12 nations involved in the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement. Asked about whether he would be willing to intervene in an Asian conflict, the French president said he would be very cautious, emphasizing that France is not interested in replacing others as a security guarantor, an apparent reference to the U.S. 'We will never sell what we cannot deliver,' he said, highlighting the importance of maintaining credibility. 'If both the United States of America and the Europeans are unable to fix, in the short run, the Ukrainian situation, I think the credibility of both the U.S. and the Europeans to pretend to fix any crisis in these (Asian) regions will be very low,' he said. The role of Europe, he said, is to work on improving its own strategic autonomy, meaning the capacity to defend itself. 'Through cooperation, we have to help the Asian countries to do the same for themselves and to reduce on both sides our dependencies,' he added, while offering financial and military assistance. At the same time, Macron emphasized that his country was not seeking confrontation. "I will be clear, France is a friend and an ally of the United States, and is a friend, and we do cooperate — even if sometimes we disagree and compete — with China." Still, Macron — who is known to have opposed the opening of a NATO liaison office in Japan — delivered a stark warning to Beijing. 'I had objected to NATO having any role in Asia. ... But what's happening with North Korea being present alongside Russia on European soil is a big question for all of us.' he said. 'This is why, if China doesn't want NATO to be involved in Southeast Asia or in Asia, they should prevent the DPRK from being engaged on European soil,' he warned, using the acronym for North Korea's formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The French leader also decried what he referred to as 'double standards' by the world's superpowers, saying that the principles of territorial integrity that apply to Ukraine should also apply to other parts of the world such as Taiwan, the Philippines and the Gaza Strip. Referring to the latter, Macron, who has repeatedly supported both a ceasefire and the recognition of a Palestinian state, said Europe would 'kill our own credibility' with the rest of the world should it grant a 'free pass' to Israel over its deadly actions in the Gaza Strip. This is why it's so important to be consistent and follow rules and principles, he said, arguing that what is at stake is 'our credibility to protect this global order.' And in an apparent jab at U.S. President Donald Trump, Macron said he would defend his approach to strategic autonomy for Europe and the Indo-Pacific despite any pressure from outside powers. 'This means we want to cooperate, but we don't want to depend. We want to cooperate, but we don't want to be instructed on a daily basis what is allowed, what is not allowed and how our life will change because of the decision of a single person,' he added. 'Macron is the first European head of state to be invited to deliver the keynote speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue — a recognition of France's enduring commitment to regional stability,' said Celine Pajon, of the French Institute of International Relations. France was the first European country to adopt an Indo-Pacific strategy and actively encouraged its neighbors, such as Germany and the Netherlands, to follow suit, while playing a pivotal role in shaping the European Union's own regional strategy. France's engagement in the Indo-Pacific is driven by two key motivations, according to Pajon. First, it seeks to protect its national interests in an increasingly unstable security environment. Second, it aims to remain relevant in an area marked by intensifying great power competition. This is why Macron's vision of 'strategic autonomy' is also reflected in France's Indo-Pacific approach, positioning the country as an alternative partner for regional states navigating pressure from both China and the U.S. 'Paris rejects bloc-based confrontation, advocating instead for a rules-based international order and multilateral solutions,' Pajon said. A NATO member, France is also the only European country to have a permanent military presence in the Indo-Pacific region, counting 8,000 military personnel. With seven of its 13 overseas departments, regions and communities situated in either the Indian Ocean or the South Pacific, Paris has long emphasized the importance of the region. Its territories in the two oceans are home to about 1.65 million French nationals and about 93% of France's exclusive economic zone. With regional and global tensions now on the rise, Paris is seeking to gradually reinforce its military footprint in the area as securing vital sea lanes of communication is seen as essential for France and Europe's trade and economic sovereignty.
Fox News
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Emmanuel Macron's wife seen shoving him in the face in viral clip as France's first couple arrives in Vietnam
French first lady Brigitte Macron was seen shoving her husband, French President Emmanuel Macron, in the face while the couple was waiting to disembark their plane in Hanoi, Vietnam. Video of the incident showed a uniformed man opening the plane door as Macron was seen wearing a suit and standing in the doorway. Brigitte Macron's arms – in red sleeves – could be seen reaching out and pushing Macron away, with one hand covering his mouth and part of his nose while the other was on his jaw. The French president turned his head away but suddenly noticed news cameras capturing the moment. He quickly smiled and waved before exiting the door frame. Macron and his wife later disembarked the stairs of the aircraft together. The French president offered his arm, though the first lady – seen wearing a red blazer – did not take hold of it. As the clip, recorded by The Associated Press, quickly went viral, Macron said that he and his wife were play-fighting. The headline of a story on the website of the daily Le Parisien newspaper asked, "Slap or 'squabble'? The images of Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron disembarking in Vietnam trigger a lot of comment." Macron told reporters that the couple — who met at a French high school where he was a teenage student, and she was a roughly 39-year-old married teacher — were simply joking around. Emmanuel was 29 when he married Brigitte in 2007. "We are squabbling and, rather, joking with my wife," he said, according to the AP, adding that the incident was being overblown into "a sort of geo-planetary catastrophe." The French leader argued that the images and reaction to them offered a cautionary tale about disinformation in the social media age. "Everyone needs to calm down," he said. Macron's office also downplayed the interaction. "It was a moment where the president and his wife were decompressing one last time before the start of the trip by horsing around. It's a moment of complicity. It was all that was needed to give ammunition to the conspiracy theorists," his office said, according to the AP. Macron's office also reportedly told CNN that the clip showed a "moment of togetherness," and that the French president and his wife were unwinding after a long trip and playfully teasing each other. Macron is touring Southeast Asia this weekend.
Khaleej Times
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
‘Not true': French President Macron denies domestic dispute with wife as video goes viral
French President Emmanuel Macron denied Monday any "domestic dispute" with his wife Brigitte after a video appeared to show her shoving his face away as they arrived in Vietnam for a diplomatic visit. They were "joking as we often do", he told reporters in Hanoi, adding that other videos had been misinterpreted as showing him sharing a bag of cocaine or confronting the Turkish president. "None of these are true," he said, and "everyone needs to calm down".
BreakingNews.ie
26-05-2025
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Macron cites horseplay as wife appears to push the French leader
French first lady Brigitte Macron appeared to push her husband away with both hands on his face just before they disembarked a plane to start a tour of south-east Asia this weekend. President Emmanuel Macron dismissed the gesture – caught on camera – as just horseplay, but it has caused a stir back in France. Advertisement French media tried to decipher the interaction that cameras spotted through the just-opened door of the plane. The headline of a story on the website of the daily Le Parisien newspaper asked: 'Slap or 'squabble'? The images of Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron disembarking in Vietnam trigger a lot of comment.' The incident was dismissed as 'horseplay' (AP) Mr Macron later told reporters that the couple – married since 2007 after meeting at the high school where he was a student and she was a teacher – were simply joking around. 'We are horsing around and, really, joking with my wife,' he said, adding that the incident was being overblown: 'It becomes a sort of geo-planetary catastrophe.' Advertisement His office earlier offered a similar explanation. 'It was a moment where the President and his wife were decompressing one last time before the start of the trip by horsing around. It's a moment of complicity. It was all that was needed to give ammunition to the conspiracy theorists,' his office said. The video – taken as the Macrons arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Sunday – showed a uniformed man pulling open the plane door and revealing the President standing inside, dressed in a suit and talking to someone who was not visible. Mr Macron married his wife Brigitte in 2007 (AP) Two arms – in red sleeves – reached out and pushed Mr Macron away, with one hand covering his mouth and part of his nose while the other was on his jawbone. The French leader recoiled, turning his head away. Advertisement Then, apparently realising that he was on camera, he broke into a smile and gave a little wave. In subsequent images, Mr Macron and his wife, wearing a red jacket, appeared at the top of the stairs. He offered an arm but she did not take it. They walked down the carpeted stairs side by side. Brigitte Macron was Brigitte Auziere, a married mother of three children, when they met at Mr Macron's high school. A teacher, she supervised the drama club where Emmanuel Macron, a literature lover, was a member. Advertisement He moved to Paris for his last year of high school, but promised to marry Brigitte. She later moved to the French capital to join him and divorced before they finally married.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Macron cites horseplay as wife appears to push the French leader
French first lady Brigitte Macron appeared to push her husband away with both hands on his face just before they disembarked a plane to start a tour of south-east Asia this weekend. President Emmanuel Macron dismissed the gesture – caught on camera – as just horseplay, but it has caused a stir back in France. French media tried to decipher the interaction that cameras spotted through the just-opened door of the plane. The headline of a story on the website of the daily Le Parisien newspaper asked: 'Slap or 'squabble'? The images of Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron disembarking in Vietnam trigger a lot of comment.' Mr Macron later told reporters that the couple – married since 2007 after meeting at the high school where he was a student and she was a teacher – were simply joking around. 'We are horsing around and, really, joking with my wife,' he said, adding that the incident was being overblown: 'It becomes a sort of geo-planetary catastrophe.' His office earlier offered a similar explanation. 'It was a moment where the President and his wife were decompressing one last time before the start of the trip by horsing around. It's a moment of complicity. It was all that was needed to give ammunition to the conspiracy theorists,' his office said. The video – taken as the Macrons arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Sunday – showed a uniformed man pulling open the plane door and revealing the President standing inside, dressed in a suit and talking to someone who was not visible. Two arms – in red sleeves – reached out and pushed Mr Macron away, with one hand covering his mouth and part of his nose while the other was on his jawbone. The French leader recoiled, turning his head away. Then, apparently realising that he was on camera, he broke into a smile and gave a little wave. In subsequent images, Mr Macron and his wife, wearing a red jacket, appeared at the top of the stairs. He offered an arm but she did not take it. They walked down the carpeted stairs side by side. Brigitte Macron was Brigitte Auziere, a married mother of three children, when they met at Mr Macron's high school. A teacher, she supervised the drama club where Emmanuel Macron, a literature lover, was a member. He moved to Paris for his last year of high school, but promised to marry Brigitte. She later moved to the French capital to join him and divorced before they finally married.
