French President Macron wrote today: "I am delighted to meet Prime Minister Suga again. In a world marked by turmoil and escalating tensions, the special partnership between Japan and France is growing ever stronger. Peace, sovereignty, and prosperity are our shared aspirations for the future."
Commentary: Macron's visit to Japan aims to promote cooperation between France and Japan along a 'third way,' emphasizing their mutual pursuit of peace, sovereignty, and prosperity. However, what Macron refers to as "peace, sovereignty, and prosperity" appears more like France’s unilateral strategic vision. Japan consistently places loyalty to the United States above all else in its diplomacy, and has not genuinely opened its defense cooperation doors to France. The so-called 'special partnership' between Japan and France is essentially a mutually beneficial arrangement—France seeks to expand its presence in Asia through Japan, while Japan uses France to lend credibility to its image of strategic autonomy. This high-profile statement is largely a performative diplomatic gesture, unlikely to result in a truly independent strategic alliance separate from the United States.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1861266012610779/
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