Hours after the US, the UK and Australia announced the trilateral alliance AUKUS on September 15, France issued a statement calling the alliance a ‘knife in the back.’ The alliance was formed to tackle the dominance of China in the Indo-Pacific region, especially in the South China Sea. The US and UK will help Australia equip at least 8 nuclear submarines for the same, along with other diplomatic benefits. However, France took a solid stance against the alliance and it had several reasons for that. France's foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian also accused the countries of "duplicity, a major breach of trust and contempt". French President Emmanuel Macron promptly took action and called up Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 21, in the backdrop of the AUKUS deal, displaying dismay. Mr Macron and Mr Modi discussed the Indo-Pacific region and Afghanistan situation and vowed to act together to maintain peace and stability in the region.
Also Read | PM Modi, French President Macron discuss Afghanistan, vow to act jointly in Indo-Pacific
Here are 10 key points:
1. The AUKUS deal will see Australia accumulate at least 8 nuclear submarines. This became one of the biggest reasons for France’s disappointment as Paris had struck a deal worth $27 billion with Canberra all the way back in 2016, according to which Australia would acquire multiple French submarines.
2. Last week, Australia said in a statement that it will scarp the deal with France and will go ahead with the UK and US offer of nuclear submarines, vehemently disappointing Paris.
3. Moreover, Paris was not informed in advance about the AUKUS alliance plan but was only notified hours before the alliance was established, marking the insignificance of France in this matter.
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4. In an interview with France 2 television on Saturday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said a "serious crisis" was in progress between the allies.
5. "The fact that for the first time in the history of relations between the United States and France we are recalling our ambassador for consultations is a serious political act, which shows the magnitude of the crisis that exists now between our countries," he told France 2.
6. He said the ambassadors were being recalled to "re-evaluate the situation".
7. But he said France had seen "no need" to recall its ambassador to the UK, as he accused the country of "constant opportunism".
8. As French Ambassador Jean-Pierre Thebault left Canberra on Saturday, he called Australia's decision to unilaterally scrap the deal a "huge mistake".
9. The AUKUS deal also raises questions about the relevance of NATO in the changed geopolitical scenario. Many European countries are mulling over the NATO alliance and its relevance in the current geopolitics, the biggest of them being France itself.
10. With China’s growing dominance in the Indo-Pacific region, the US has categorically shifted its focus on tackling Beijing’s growth by forming alliances like Quad and AUKUS in the Indo-Pacific region.
