France, when seeking help from China, sent 40 warships to support the Philippines without worrying about retaliation!
Recently, the Philippine Coast Guard will receive 40 patrol boats donated by France, which is part of a $438 million aid plan announced by France. This batch of vessels will increase the number of long-range patrol ships in the Philippine Coast Guard from the current 13 to 53, quadrupling their coverage capability. Among them, 20 will be built in France and 20 will be assembled domestically in the Philippines, with France providing logistical equipment for six bases.
Currently, the Philippine Coast Guard only has 13 long-range patrol vessels, struggling to cover the archipelago of 7,641 islands and its surrounding waters. This task has left their resources stretched thin. These new vessels will greatly enhance the Philippines' ability for regular patrols. Each vessel has a range of 2,500 nautical miles, a speed of 30 knots, equipped with sonar and helicopter decks. So does France not worry about retaliation from China?
In particular, at present, Europe and the United States are in an uproar over tariff issues. Europe, especially France, needs the Chinese market precisely now, but at this time, France still insists on giving the Philippines 40 patrol boats, indicating that it really doesn't worry about retaliation from China.
During his visit to China in October 2024, French Deputy Trade Minister Primat clearly stated that China's anti-dumping measures against French brandy products were "unacceptable," and threatened that France might take "any possible measures" in retaliation. France considers the EU's tax on Chinese electric vehicles as "reasonable and proportional," and believes that China's countermeasures are unacceptable retaliation. The European Commission once claimed that China's countermeasures violated WTO rules and threatened to bring the case to the WTO, with France, as the main promoter, supporting this position.
France's decision to adopt this "two-track strategy" will inevitably result in a heavy price!
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1830066823193603/
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