logo
UK and France must end dependency on US and China, Macron warns

UK and France must end dependency on US and China, Macron warns

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday Britain and France must work together to counter the world's many destabilising threats and protect Europe from 'excessive dependencies' on the US and China.
Advertisement
Macron, in a rare address to both houses of the British parliament, celebrated the return of closer ties between the two countries as he became the first European leader to be invited for a British state visit since Brexit.
Having been greeted earlier by the British royal family, Macron set out to parliament where he said the two countries needed to come together to strengthen Europe, including on defence, immigration, climate and trade.
'The United Kingdom and France must once again show the world that our alliance can make all the difference,' he said.
'The only way to overcome the challenges we have, the challenges of our times, will be to go together hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder.'
Advertisement
Listing the geopolitical threats the countries face, Macron argued they should also be wary of the 'excessive dependencies of both the US and China', saying they needed to 'de-risk our economies and our societies from this dual dependency'.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

US calls for closer South Korea-Japan defence ties amid ‘unprecedented' China-North threat
US calls for closer South Korea-Japan defence ties amid ‘unprecedented' China-North threat

South China Morning Post

time3 hours ago

  • South China Morning Post

US calls for closer South Korea-Japan defence ties amid ‘unprecedented' China-North threat

America's highest-ranking military officer has called for closer trilateral defence ties with South Korea and Japan in response to what he described as an 'unprecedented' military build-up by North Korea and China. The remarks by General Dan Caine, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, come amid growing pressure on Seoul to shoulder more of the cost of hosting 28,500 US troops and to support their expanded role beyond the Korean peninsula – a move that could test South Korea's willingness to align more closely with US regional strategy. 'Our focus in the United States remains on re-establishing deterrence and doing so needs and requires the trilateral cooperation between our three countries,' Caine said at a meeting on Friday with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts, Admiral Kim Myung-soo and General Yoshihide Yoshida, in Seoul. 'The DPRK [North Korea] and China are undergoing an unprecedented military build-up with a clear and unambiguous intent to move forward with their own agendas,' he added. US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force General Dan Caine (left) and Admiral Kim Myung-soo, chairman of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, inspect a guard of honour at the Ministry of National Defence in Seoul on Thursday. Photo: AFP Following the meeting, the three military leaders issued a joint statement condemning Pyongyang's 'unlawful' weapons development and reaffirming efforts to work towards the complete denuclearisation of North Korea.

US calls for closer South Korea, Japan defence ties amid ‘unprecedented' China-North threat
US calls for closer South Korea, Japan defence ties amid ‘unprecedented' China-North threat

South China Morning Post

time4 hours ago

  • South China Morning Post

US calls for closer South Korea, Japan defence ties amid ‘unprecedented' China-North threat

America's highest-ranking military officer has called for closer trilateral defence ties with South Korea and Japan in response to what he described as an 'unprecedented' military build-up by North Korea and China. Advertisement The remarks by General Dan Caine, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, come amid growing pressure on Seoul to shoulder more of the cost of hosting 28,500 US troops and to support their expanded role beyond the Korean peninsula – a move that could test South Korea's willingness to align more closely with US regional strategy. 'Our focus in the United States remains on re-establishing deterrence and doing so needs and requires the trilateral cooperation between our three countries,' Caine said at a meeting on Friday with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts, Admiral Kim Myung-soo and General Yoshihide Yoshida, in Seoul. 'The DPRK [North Korea] and China are undergoing an unprecedented military build-up with a clear and unambiguous intent to move forward with their own agendas,' he added. US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force General Dan Caine (left) and Admiral Kim Myung-soo, chairman of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, inspect a guard of honour at the Ministry of National Defence in Seoul on Thursday. Photo: AFP Following the meeting, the three military leaders issued a joint statement condemning Pyongyang's 'unlawful' weapons development and reaffirming efforts to work towards the complete denuclearisation of North Korea. Advertisement

Rare earth realisation: US must tackle tech, pollution despite Pentagon move, CEO says
Rare earth realisation: US must tackle tech, pollution despite Pentagon move, CEO says

South China Morning Post

timea day ago

  • South China Morning Post

Rare earth realisation: US must tackle tech, pollution despite Pentagon move, CEO says

The United States is scrambling to reduce its dependence on rare earths from China, with the Pentagon splashing out US$400 million on Thursday to become the largest shareholder in American miner MP Materials. While some say the move will help wean the US off the Chinese supply, a senior American industry executive has warned that a variety of hurdles face US and European mining efforts – from securing the necessary midstream technology to obtaining government permits for what can be a highly pollutive and sometimes radioactive mining process. 'It depends upon the strategy and who's doing it,' David Argyle, CEO of Ohio-based REalloys, said during a Zoom interview on Friday. If all of the conditions are met, he said, 'you can make big inroads, maybe achieving 40 [or] 50 per cent of the US' strategic needs. You can probably have [the rare earth problem] solved in 2027 [or] 2028'. REalloys delivers high-end magnet materials and magnets for US-protected markets, including the US National Defence Stockpile, US Defence Industrial Base, US Nuclear Industrial Base, robotics, electric aviation and critical infrastructure industries. Beijing has tightened its grip over supplies of middle and heavy rare earths as leverage in its trade war with Washington, forcing the US side to ease its tech curbs during talks in London in early June.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store