Macron Urges Openness, Consistency, Stabilised Rules-Based Order

Washington has also ratcheted up its hawkish efforts to contain China that have left the rest of the world reeling in the wake of its actions and China's responses, fearing a full-fledged trade war that would crimp economic growth globally.

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For its part, China has been engaged in dangerous skirmishes with Philippine coast guard and navy vessels in waters in the South China Sea where it has overlapping claims with the Philippines.

"We have a challenge of revisionist countries that want to impose, under the name of spheres of influence—in reality, spheres of coercion; countries that want to control areas from the fringe of Europe to the archipelagos in the South China Sea, at the exclusion of regional partners, oblivious to international law," Mr Macron said, without making overt references to China or Russia.

Mr Macron pointed out that France is an Indo-Pacific nation as seven of its offshore territories sit in the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific, with a million French citizens living in this region.

In 2018, his government released an Indo-Pacific security strategy. He said that the strategy would be updated in the coming weeks.