In Nod to China, France Disapproves NATO Office in Japan
French President Emmanuel Macron objected to a proposal to open a nato office in Tokyo, Japan, the Financial Times reported on June 5. nato began discussing plans to open the office in January, but the idea has suffered months of setbacks due to resistance from France. If established, it would be nato’s first outpost in the Indo-Pacific.
The purpose of the office in Tokyo would be to help facilitate consultations with Japan and nato’s other security partners in the Indo-Pacific, such as South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
If … we push nato to enlarge the spectrum and the geography, we will make a big mistake.
—Emmanuel Macron
Other French officials told the Financial Times that France fears that the office could undermine Europe’s credibility with China. One French official said France believes that nato needs to focus on its own region, the North Atlantic. Another individual said that France was reluctant to back anything “that contributes to nato-China tension.”
‘NATO’s outreach’: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said in a press conference on June 6 that many of the countries in the region do not welcome “nato’s outreach in Asia.”
Asia lies beyond the geographical scope of the North Atlantic …. However, we have seen nato bent on going east into this region, interfering in regional affairs and inciting bloc confrontation. … Japan should make the right call in keeping with the region’s stability and development interests and refrain from doing anything that may undermine mutual trust between regional countries and peace and stability in the region.
—Wang Wenbin
New world order: Macron is willing to side with China on not opening a nato office in Asia because both France and China are looking to build a new world order. China is trying to counter the United States and free Asia of the West’s influence. France also seeks to weaken America’s dominance and is working to help build a new European superpower that could take its place.
“Europe and China share a dream of replacing the U.S. as the global superpower,” we wrote in April. “The Bible reveals that Europe’s acceptance of the Chinese dictatorship is leading to an alliance that is prophesied in Isaiah 23. In this alliance, war will be tolerated and the U.S. will not only lose its leading role but become the victim of a trade war followed by a hot war.”
Learn more: Read “Europe and China Agree on a New World Order.”
