France 24
When France crisscrosses the China Sea in an attack submarine
The French nuclear attack submarine Émeraude made a passage in the China Sea, confirmed Monday the Minister of Defense, Florence Parly. An operation that may seem surprising in a very tense region where France has no direct interests. Explanations. What did he do in this mess? The French nuclear attack submarine Émeraude has sailed in the very troubled China Sea, confirmed Florence Parly, French Minister of Defense, on Monday February 8 on Twitter. The passage in these disputed international waters, almost all of which is claimed by China, is “a striking proof of the capacity of our National Navy to deploy far and for a long time in connection with our Australian, American or Japanese strategic partners”, affirmed the Minister. Welcome to Indo-Pacific Emerald, accompanied by ‘a support vessel, set off 15,000 km from the French coast as part of the Marianne mission which, since September 2020, has consisted of patrolling the “Indo-Pacific” zone to “show that we are still there militarily” , explains Jean-Vincent Brisset, research director at the Institute of International and Strategic Relations (Iris) and specialist in China, contacted by France 24. “It was an old promise from Jean-Yves Le Drian, when he was still Minister of Defense [jusqu’en 2017, NDLR]”, recalls this specialist. In an increasingly tense geopolitical context in the Asian maritime regions – Sino-American tensions in the South China Sea, quarrels between Beijing and Canberra – France wants to recall that it has specific interests on which it intends to watch. In 2019, it even established a very official “French defense doctrine for the Indo-Pacific” recalling that about 1.5 million French nationals live between Djibouti and French Polynesia. This is to say if Paris is thinking big with its Indo-Pacific zone since it extends from the Gulf of Aden to beyond Australia. But the South China Sea does not appear there. “On the legal level, it is perfectly legal for the French Navy, as part of its operations across the globe, to navigate there “, recalls Antoine Bondaz, researcher at the Foundation for Strategic Research and specialist in Asia, contacted by France 24. On the geopolitical level, the meridio china sea nale is the subject of a patchwork of territorial claims between China, Malaysia, Taiwan, the Philippines and Vietnam, not to mention the tensions between Washington and Beijing. A context that has something to think twice before submerging a submarine. Beijing does not appreciate a foreign ship coming to walk in the region. France has already seen this in 2019 after sending a surveillance frigate there. China was then very officially moved by this tricolor incursion. No reaction from Beijing? Despite this, Paris decided to return. And this time with a nuclear attack submarine. “It’s a stronger signal than a surveillance frigate,” says Jean-Dominique Merchet, journalist specializing in defense issues on the L’Opinion website. “In the global context of diplomatic relations, it is a way for France to signify that it is not afraid of the balance of power with China,” said Jean-Vincent Brisset. France is thus trying to pose itself in guarantor of the right to navigate freely in international waters. “It is a way of telling our Australian, Indian and Japanese partners that we are not just making fine speeches. France will only have credibility in the region if it shows that it is ready to act to defend its principles “, summarizes Antoine Bondaz. Paris also seems to have succeeded since China has not officially reacted to the presence of the Emerald. “Beijing had to judge that the stake was not worth it”, estimates Antoine Bondaz. First, this type of submarine alone is not a major threat. “It is not a submarine launching machine either, in which case China would probably have made itself heard,” said the expert from the Foundation for Strategic Research. He added that an official reaction Chinese “could have been counterproductive. On the one hand,” Chinese public opinion could have had the impression that Beijing does not exercise sufficient control over the waters it claims, “he said. On the other hand, being too aggressive at the slightest passage of a ship that does not present a particular military threat “would reinforce the impression among other countries that Beijing considers this area as a kind of inland sea”, notes Antoine. “Bondaz. Enough to risk provoking an outcry, especially in Europe. And China does not need to have a European front against it when it already has a standoff to manage with the United States.” It remains to be seen how long Beijing will remain silent. Florence Parly has indeed clarified that France planned to do annual patrols in the area. And in the coming weeks, Paris should deploy, as part of the Joan of Arc mission, “an amphibious group which should operate as far as Japan”, specifies the Ministry of Defense, contacted by France 24. Not far from the famous China Sea, in short.
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