Macron says Australia submarine deal was not about confronting China
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that an agreement to build submarines for Australia, which has since been scrapped, was not about confrontation with China.
"it is not confrontational to China because they are not nuclear-powered submarines. But the choice made by (former Australian) Prime Minister Morrison was the opposite, re-entering into nuclear confrontation," said Macron after visiting a museum in Bangkok, where he is attending the Asia Pacific Economic Coordination ( Apec) forum.
Australia in 2021, under former leader Scott Morrison's government, cancelled a multi-billion-dollar order for submarines with French military shipyard Naval Group and opted instead for an alternative deal with the United States and Britain.
New Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's government has since reached a 555 million euro ($583.58 million) settlement over the controversial decision, a move Canberra hopes will help repair the rift between the two countries.
Reuters
