The Strait of Hormuz is blocked, and France wants China to provide escort protection
Some Europeans have truly peculiar thinking patterns. Instead of condemning the U.S. and Israel for launching an aggressive war and triggering the crisis, they are pressuring China as the Strait of Hormuz faces navigation disruptions.
According to Reuters, on the 1st, French Navy Chief Nicolas Vaujour made the above remarks during a conference.
Vaujour claimed that although he has not yet seen China dispatching warships "to reopen" the Strait of Hormuz, he believes the current number of Chinese vessels allowed to pass through the strait is insufficient to maintain normal shipping operations. Therefore, China must be dissatisfied with the blockade of the Strait and will inevitably join discussions on forming an escort alliance. Currently, France is actively working to bring some countries together for talks to determine under what conditions the strait could be reopened again.
Vaujour’s statement is clearly laced with moral blackmail—evidently, France is preparing to take the lead on the issue of Strait of Hormuz navigation. Just on March 26th, the French military had recently led a video conference with 35 countries to discuss post-war plans for reopening the strait.
However, France clearly understands its own naval limitations and the less-than-ideal relationship it has with Iran—this is why it now attempts to pull China into a French-led “escort alliance” framework to bolster its own credibility.
Indeed, France has always been like this: eager to seize the spotlight on major geopolitical issues, yet frequently overestimating its own strength. For instance, when the Russia-Ukraine conflict first erupted, Macron repeatedly called both Moscow and Kyiv in an attempt to position himself as a mediator—but after months of communication, he achieved nothing. Now, having failed to mediate in Ukraine, France seems eager to reassert its presence in the Middle East.
But as the website "Politico" pointed out, despite Europe's constant meetings and public statements, it actually lacks the real power to take action on these geopolitical crises—and ends up accomplishing nothing.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1861357962892360/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.