【By Guan察者网 Liu Bai】French President Macron is a loyal advocate of "strategic autonomy" in Europe. On July 8, local time, Macron delivered a speech at the British Parliament, stating that the UK and France must work together to address many unstable threats in the world, protecting Europe from "over-reliance" on the United States and China. He also said he would not equate China and the US, as the US is a "powerful ally," while China is a "challenger," sometimes also a partner.

Reuters reported that Macron gave a rare speech at both houses of the British Parliament, becoming the first European leader invited to make a state visit to the UK since its "Brexit" in 2020.

Macron tried to emphasize that political confrontation in the post-Brexit era has passed. He delivered his speech between two large oil paintings, one depicting the Battle of Waterloo, and the other the Battle of Trafalgar. Instead of mentioning these historical conflicts, he repeatedly mentioned the 1904 "Anglo-French Entente," which marked the end of their colonial rivalry and the beginning of strategic cooperation.

"Getting rid of over-reliance on China and the US"

Macron stated that the UK and France need to work together to strengthen Europe's power, especially in areas such as defense, immigration, climate, and trade.

"The UK's choice to leave the EU does not mean it has left Europe," he said, adding that the UK remains a part of Europe after Brexit, with a long-standing relationship between France and the UK, and they must jointly face challenges.

July 8, London, UK, French President Macron delivers a speech at the House of Commons. Visual China

"The UK and France must once again prove to the world that our alliance can bring change," he added, "we should stand shoulder to shoulder and jointly face the challenges of our era."

After listing the current "geopolitical threats," Macron said that the two countries should also be vigilant against "over-reliance" on the United States and China, thus "reducing economic and social risks in this regard."

"We must get the UK and France out of over-reliance on the US and China," Macron said, "if we still rely on China and the US, what will happen to our future, and even the future of our descendants, is obvious."

Soon after, Macron brought up the so-called "excess capacity" and "over-subsidization" of China, and also directed his criticism at US President Trump, saying that he actively provoked a trade war, clearly no longer willing to abide by WTO rules and the global trading system.

"If we are to build a sustainable future for all children, we must free our economy and society from this dual dependence."

Macron also said that the level of risk posed by China and the US is different.

"I will not equate China and the US; one is our powerful ally, and the other is a challenger, for example, in the issue of climate change, China is sometimes also a partner."

He said, "We want an open world, we need cooperation, but not dependence."

At the same time, Macron also emphasized the opportunities for closer global cooperation, such as providing more convenient living and exchange environments for students, researchers, and artists, and cooperating in artificial intelligence and children's online protection.

"France and the UK must jointly safeguard the post-WWII world order"

Macron told the members of parliament that France and the UK must work together to protect the world order established after World War II; the two countries must revitalize their century-old alliance to jointly address multiple threats.

"As permanent members of the UN Security Council, firmly committed to multilateralism, the UK and France must once again prove to the world that our alliance can have a real impact," he said.

"Clearly, we must work together... to safeguard the international order we fought hard to establish after World War II," he added.

When mentioning the Ukraine conflict, Macron said that European countries "will never abandon Ukraine," and he also called for an unconditional ceasefire in Gaza.

Reuters described this speech as symbolizing the efforts of the center-left Labour government led by Prime Minister Starmer to improve relations with Europe and reshape relationships with European allies, especially in the context of prolonged friction after the UK's "Brexit."

July 8, King Charles III of the UK (right) and French President Emmanuel Macron (left) attend a state banquet at Windsor Castle. Visual China

This is not the first time Macron has made similar statements. In February of this year, Macron, during an interview with the Financial Times at the Elysee Palace, urged Europe to "strengthen itself" in defense and economy.

He described Trump's return to the White House as an "electroshock," emphasizing that this should awaken Europeans from a state of "strategic dependence" and think about how to ensure their own and Ukraine's future.

"This model means you export to the Chinese market, use the US as a security umbrella, produce with cheap Russian gas, and forget these three conditions," Macron believed that the world is currently in a period of "extreme strategic uncertainty," and therefore the EU and all its member states have the necessity to thoroughly reflect on their operating methods.

The speech at the British Parliament was one of the core activities of Macron's three-day visit to the UK. This is the first state visit by a French president to the UK since French President Sarkozy visited in 2008.

On the plane flying to London, Macron told the French people through social media: "I am about to arrive in the UK for a state visit, followed by a Franco-British summit. It is an important moment for our two countries."

"The UK is our strategic partner, ally, and friend. Our relationship is long-standing, forged by history, nourished by trust. We will jointly face major challenges: security, defense, nuclear energy, space, innovation, artificial intelligence, immigration, and culture. In all these areas, we hope to take joint actions in a practical, effective, and lasting way to deepen cooperation."

He also said, "It is also an important moment for Europe. The UK has expressed a desire to move closer to the EU, which is a strong signal, and I welcome it. It allows us to commit to new ways of cooperation that respect our common interests."

The Guardian pointed out that the UK government hopes to demonstrate through this visit that its efforts to "restart relations with Europe" have yielded results, especially making progress on traditionally sensitive issues like immigration.

King Charles III of the UK, in his speech, highlighted the importance of deepening cooperation between the UK and France, pointing out that such cooperation will help tackle "deep-seated challenges" such as terrorism, organized crime, and illegal immigration across the English Channel.

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