France’s Emmanuel Macron and China’s Xi Jinping exchanged barbs on Thursday over their competing visions for the highly strategic Asia-Pacific region, as world leaders landed in Thailand for a regional summit.
“In this highly contested region, which is the theater of confrontation between the two great world powers, our strategy is to defend freedom and sovereignty,” Macron said.
He landed in Bangkok late Wednesday for the Asia Pacific Economic Coordination (APEC) forum aimed at reviving France’s strategic ambitions in the region after Australia’s humiliating blow that canceled a major submarine contract in 2021.
Macron also said that France is promoting cooperation with Indonesia in the supply of fighter jets and submarines.
The two countries signed an $8.1 billion deal for 42 Rafale fighter jets earlier this year, as part of a series of agreements that also included an order for two Scorpnene submarines, making Jakarta the largest French arms customer in Southeast Asia.
But Chinese President Xi also gave his own take on the region, saying Asia-Pacific is nobody’s backyard and should not become an arena for a major power struggle.
“No attempt to start another cold war would ever be allowed by the people or by our time,” he said, according to a written speech reported by Chinese state media on Thursday.