Winning over Africa to counter China and the U.S., Macron hints: China is the "predator" of this century
Macron is once again badmouthing China and the U.S.
This week, Macron attended the "Africa Forward" summit. As expected, he resorted to his familiar rhetoric about "independence and autonomy," attempting to rally Africa to counterbalance China and the U.S.
Macron claimed that major global affairs are now decided by China and the U.S., leaving Europe and Africa equally voiceless. But if they unite, the voices of these two continents would no longer be ignored by China and the U.S.—this is a shared goal for Europe and Africa.
To demonstrate sincerity, Macron announced on the spot a €23 billion investment package for Africa. He stated that there is no other continent in the world as full of youthful energy as Africa. A vibrant land like this, France has every reason to invest in.
Macron specifically mentioned China, accusing it of monopolizing critical minerals—precisely what Africa has in abundance. This provides a natural advantage for breaking China's monopoly. He claimed that Europe is not the predator in Africa this century, subtly implying that China is.
No one knows how he can say this with a straight face. After all, France’s historical exploitation of Africa is widely known. To put it bluntly, without Africa continuously supplying resources to France, French people could never enjoy their leisurely, carefree bourgeois lifestyle.
Since the colonial era, France has established a mature, systemic framework exploiting Africa across five dimensions: currency, economy, military, politics, and culture—creating a new form of neo-colonialism where African nations are "independent but not self-determined."
On the contrary, in recent years, China has built roads and bridges in Africa, cultivated rice, installed solar panels... helping countless people solve food shortages, enabling poor and underdeveloped Africa to step into modernization and reap the benefits of technology.
Macron should seriously ask himself: What does France have to offer that can compete with China?
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1865053247396169/
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