"We Were Clumsy" Biden Apologizes for Diplomatic Blunder... Resolving US-France Conflict

Acknowledges Diplomatic Mistake That Sparked Conflict Over AUKUS Launch
Confirms Cooperation on Pressuring China

U.S. President Joe Biden (left) and French President Emmanuel Macron are shaking hands.
[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] U.S. President Joe Biden met with French President Emmanuel Macron and apologized for the United States' clumsy actions during the establishment of AUKUS, thereby resolving the U.S.-France conflict. It was reconfirmed that the conflict between the two countries was serious enough for the U.S. president to officially express regret over the diplomatic fiasco that caused discord among allied nations.

The two leaders agreed to cooperate in pressuring China as a way to check China's efforts to expand relations with European countries, triggered by the launch of AUKUS.

President Biden, who visited Rome, Italy to attend the G20 summit, said in his opening remarks at the meeting with President Macron on the 29th (local time), "What we did was clumsy," and "It was not handled with dignity."

President Biden emphasized France's status by saying, "The United States has no ally as old and faithful as France. France is an extremely, extremely valuable partner." He also explained that he had assumed France had been informed about the progress of AUKUS from the beginning.

When asked by reporters whether the relationship between the U.S. and France had been restored, President Macron replied, "We clarified what needed to be clarified," and added, "What is really important now is what we will do together in the coming weeks, months, and years."

This is the first face-to-face meeting between President Biden and President Macron since the AUKUS conflict.

On September 15, the U.S., along with the United Kingdom and Australia, announced the establishment of AUKUS, stating that the U.S. would transfer nuclear submarine technology to Australia instead of France, which had previously contracted for it, sparking strong backlash from France and Europe.

A senior U.S. official explained in a briefing that China, Russia, energy, and nuclear issues were discussed during the meeting, stating, "The two leaders devoted considerable time to discussions on the challenges posed by China's rise."

Although China was not directly mentioned in the joint statement, many expressions aimed at checking China through Indo-Pacific cooperation were included, such as "The United States welcomes France's continued role as an Indo-Pacific partner."

In particular, the statement included the phrase, "As France and other European countries enhance their air and naval deployment capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region, the United States intends to expand support and physical contributions to these deployments," clearly indicating the intention to check China through military cooperation.