While most of the reporting on potential new wars out of the US has
centered recently on Iran and Venezuela, French officials say they believe a “global confrontation” is emerging in the Pacific Ocean, and they promise to be involved.
Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly spoke of French involvement in this
conflict over the weekend in Singapore, saying “it takes no Kissinger
to see the building blocks of a global confrontation take place here in
Asia.”
She went on to say that France would be engaged “in our own steady,
non-confrontational but obstinate way,” and that French Navy ships will
continue to sail through the South China Sea.
Mention of the sea suggests France is envisioning a war involving China,
and the US and China have been engaged in a trade war, and some barbs
traded over Taiwan in recent days. Either way, a shooting war seems a
remote possibility, and even if it happened, it’s unclear how much
France could conceivably contribute, given their limited territorial
claims and presence in the south Pacific.
France Promises Presence in Pacific for Upcoming ‘Global Confrontation’
Minister promises engagement in 'non-confrontational but obstinate way'
Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.
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