While French President Emmanuel Macron met with Chinese General Secretary Xi Jinping, China was preparing for another round of military exercises around Taiwan. Macron is willing to overlook the fact that Xi is currently threatening Taiwan, setting himself up as a dictator-for-life, committing genocide, and supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Why? Macron himself gave the answer on his flight back from China on April 9.

Europe’s goal, he noted, is to become a “third superpower.” To become independent from the United States, it needs China’s help. His blatant display of anti-Americanism should be a wake-up call that the time of U.S. dominance is about over. Macron is merely putting words to the already existing reality that its partner, Germany, has created in the last few decades.

The term “third superpower” should ring in the ears of Trumpet readers. It is a term deployed by the underground Nazi movement that has long yearned for the rise of this power. Decades ago, the late Herbert W. Armstrong warned about the rise of this third superpower; now, we are seeing it announced on the world stage to the looming detriment of the U.S.

Siding With a Dictator

While in China, Macron raised the possibility of China helping end the war in Ukraine—a useless petition considering Xi is best friends with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Instead of focusing on the reality, Macron talked about Europe’s “strategic autonomy” and “greater mutual respect” toward China for “a new balance.” He tweeted a picture of himself greeting a crowd of Chinese students and wrote: “Long live the friendship between China and France!”

Anyone familiar with Chinese propaganda knows that the cheering students were part of China’s propaganda. Macron knows that too—but he is willing to play along. Macron’s hatred for the U.S. system leads him to cheer for an Asian dictatorship.

Macron’s talks with Xi are reminiscent of his many phone conversations with Putin as Russia mobilized troops around Ukraine. At that time, Macron gave the impression that he was trying to prevent war. Now he appears to be interested only in upholding economic relations and bashing the U.S. In doing so, Macron essentially gave Xi a green light to invade Taiwan without European intervention. “Europeans cannot resolve the crisis in Ukraine; how can we credibly say on Taiwan, ‘Watch out; if you do something wrong we will be there’? If you really want to increase tensions that’s the way to do it,” he said.

Macron believes that it’s better to let the world go up in flames than to support the little stability that is left from U.S. dominance.

“The paradox would be that, overcome with panic, we believe we are just America’s followers,” Macron said in the interview. “The question Europeans need to answer … is it in our interest to accelerate [a crisis] on Taiwan? No. The worse thing would be to think that we Europeans must become followers on this topic and take our cue from the U.S. agenda and a Chinese overreaction.”

Such a statement would have been well received by Xi who has long been preparing an invasion of Taiwan.

China is preparing for war—while Europe increases economic ties with it. It’s the Russia-Ukraine crisis all over again. But it could be far worse. If China invades Taiwan, all the help for Ukraine will have been in vain. The U.S. has no will to stop two simultaneous large-scale invasions. Shifting its focus to helping Taiwan may leave Ukraine in Russia’s hands. Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry sees this as the most likely scenario in light of Bible prophecy (read “The Ukraine War Will Not Start World War III!”).

The Prophesied ‘Third Superpower’

The term “third superpower” that Macron used is very similar to the term “third power bloc.” The creation of such a bloc, as T.H. Tetens noted in Germany Plots With the Kremlin, has been the goal of Nazis who went underground after World War ii. These Nazis, of course, never wanted equal footing with the other superpowers. “They are dreaming of building a new third power bloc and declared that this ‘new power combination would plunge the United States down from its present dizzy heights,’” Tetens wrote, quoting the Nazi underground movement in Madrid, Spain, at the time.

Recent events show that these plans are still being worked out. Germany is still plotting with the Kremlin—seen most recently in German-Russian business ties. Germany has been cooperating with Russia to the detriment of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and it is now closely working with China (read “Embracing China”). What Macron is saying is just putting words to the already existing reality. We are seeing a new world order rise, which leaves the U.S. out in the cold.

In 1983, Mr. Armstrong wrote: “For 50 years, I have been crying out to the world the Bible prophecies of this coming ‘United States of Europe’—a new united superpower perhaps more powerful than either the Soviet Union or the United States!” In 1956, he said Europe “will become a third power in the world.” Many hoped that the Nazis’ plans would fail; Mr. Armstrong told the world that they wouldn’t. Now, Macron has announced before the world that a united European superpower is coming.

Mr. Armstrong’s Bible-based prophecies are explained in detail in our booklet He Was Right. Europe today is identified in Revelation 17 and 18 as Babylon, famous for its merchants. Isaiah 23 and Ezekiel 27 refer to this empire as the powerful trading center of Tyre. The Bible prophesies that a European economic behemoth will center world trade around itself. The Bible also reveals that Russia and China will be among its major allies and that the alliance will successfully dethrone the U.S.

We now are seeing this economic powerhouse emerge. By playing both sides, Europe hopes to become the world’s new center of trade while the U.S. becomes increasingly isolated. Watch for Europe to continue to make strides toward the fulfillment of Mr. Armstrong’s forecasts.

Mr. Flurry has written a detailed article on what role France will play in this prophesied superpower: “France Is Resurrecting the Holy Roman Empire.”