Macron blocks NATO outpost in Japan amid Chinese complaints
France is holding up a deal to expand NATOās reach into Asia, opening a split in the Western security alliance on the eve of a vital summit next week.
For months, NATO officials have been discussing plans to open a liaison office in Japan, which would represent the alliesā first outpost in the region at a time of growing tension between the West and China.
Next weekās annual leadersā summit in Lithuania ātaking place against the backdrop of Russiaās war in Ukraine ā was earmarked as a moment for making progress on the plan.
But French President Emmanuel Macron has put his foot down, insisting such geographical expansion would risk shifting the allianceās remit too far from its original North Atlantic focus.
āWe are not in favor as a matter of principle,ā an ElysĆ©e Palace official told reporters on Friday. āAs far as the office is concerned, the Japanese authorities themselves have told us that they are not extremely attached to it.ā
The French official insisted that NATO is geographically confined to the North Atlantic. āNATO means North Atlantic Treaty Organization,ā the official said, adding that Articles 5 and 6, clauses at the heart of the alliance, are āgeographic.ā
The plan by NATO to open its first Asian office comes amid heightened concern over Chinaās aggressive maritime and air behavior toward Taiwan and U.S. troops in the region. Like France, China is also opposed to the idea.
āWe have seen NATO bent on going east into this region, interfering in regional affairs and inciting bloc confrontation,ā Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said last month. āThe majority of Asian countries ⦠oppose the emergence of military blocs in the region. They donāt welcome NATOās outreach in Asia.ā
While some other NATO allies are also said to have concerns over the new office, three European diplomats with knowledge of the ongoing negotiations acknowledge that the strongest opposition comes from France.
Macron has been opposed to an increased NATO focus on China for years. In 2021
he said after a NATO meeting that āwe shouldnāt confuse our goals,ā arguing that āNATO is a military organization, the issue of our relationship with China isnāt just a military issue. NATO is an organization that concerns the North Atlantic, China has little to do with the North Atlantic.ā
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, on the other hand, has promoted deeper connections with Asia-Pacific allies. The leaders of Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand will attend the NATO summit in Vilnius next week for the second year in a row.
āWe should not make the same mistake with China and other authoritarian regimes,ā
Stoltenberg said in February. His comment was seen as drawing a link between Ukraine and Taiwan. āWhat is happening in Europe today could happen in Asia tomorrow,ā he said.
Divisions open up over NATOās Asian outreach ahead of leadersā summit in Vilnius.
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