N°17- octobre 2021 On September 15, Australia's announcement to break the contract signed in 2006 with France for the construction of 12 conventionally powered submarines sent shock waves through French government circles.
Le Drian, current Minister of Foreign Affairs who had been the negotiator of this contract under the Hollande presidency spoke harsh words to describe the behavior of the USA-GB-Australia trio which has just announced that Australia, on the basis of American technologies, opted for 12 nuclear-powered submarines. In an interview on France 2 the Minister of Defense spoke to criticize the contract breach and the change of course of Australia: "There was a lie, there was duplicity, there has been a major breach of trust, there has been contempt, so things are not right between us, things are not right at all, it means that there is a crisis ". This declaration, coupled with the recall of the French ambassadors in Australia and the United States, are strong acts which reflect the deep resentment of the authorities in the face of the Australian about-face. However beyond the harsh words and the recall of the ambassadors, a recall that lasted only 6 days, all it took to "restore confidence" was a Macron- Biden telephone interview, "calming" statements from Biden and Jonhson, and assertions by the Australian Prime Minister swearing to his gods that it is all in the best interests of his country’s security and has nothing to do with any animosity towards France.
Beyond all this then it is necessary to examine the deep meaning of the military alliance which has just been formed in Asia Pacific around the trio of which the United States is the pivot and the decision-making element. To be understood, this situation must take into account the evolution of the relations within imperialism which have caused the clashes to shift to the Asia-Pacific zone. The major confrontation today is between the two largest world economic powers: the USA and China. An illustration of this is the trade war they are waging and that their biggest monopolies are waging as well as the efforts they are undertaking to extend their areas of influence on all continents.
For the US, the doctrine "America first" (that is the interests of the US capitalist monopolies first) has been the credo of all its political leaderships for a long time including Trump and Biden. To face what they consider their main adversary: China, the United States have modified their military presence in this region and are gathering around them and leading an anti-Chinese alliance at the core of which is Australia and the United Kingdom. We previously stressed that the departure of US troops from Afghanistan, as well as their partial withdrawal from the Middle and Near East, corresponded to a redeployment of US forces to the area where the tectonic plates of imperialism collide, namely the Asia-Pacific zone. Brexit also fulfilled that function of enabling the United Kingdom to deploy a strategy focused on Asia in cooperation with the USA which was theorized under the name of Global Britain. The imperialist coalition dominated by the USA and which intends to include Japan and South Korea... aims to raise the level of confrontation with China and its allies. The choice of allowing Australia's access to the rank of nuclear power is an essential factor in this direction since it adds a future nuclear power to the panoply of alliances formed by the USA, G-B and Australia. The first consequence of this development will be to accelerate the arms race because neither China nor Russia can accept a break in the balance of power. This arms race, given the existing hotbeds of tension and especially in the China Sea and around the Taiwan question, can only be an additional danger for world peace.
In this rise in confrontation which may go as far as war, only the interests of the dominant imperialist forces, in this case the USA, matter. France is therefore treated by them as a vassal who must comply with their demands. A member of NATO like most countries of the European Union, France may cry treason, it only receives the salary of its dominated position. It is also significant that the announcement of the contract breach was made when the President of the European Commission was giving a dissertation on the strengthening of military integration within the EU so as to play the role assigned to it by the USA of controlling the European region by partially relieving the US of this responsibility.
The shouts of our government will not change anything. France is treated for what it is by the USA: a second-rate imperialist power which is not in a position, nor is the European Union to impose strategic choices. So what choice is there to respond to this coup by the USA-GB-Australia trio? The government will have speeches on the disrespectful America, the treacherous Albion and the need to unite Europe, but ultimately the choice will undoubtedly be to remain a vassal within NATO. The other choice, the one for which our Party is fighting as an anti-imperialist force, is to demand France's withdrawal from NATO. It is the only way to prevent getting drawn into a future imperialist conflict; the way to ensure the sovereignty and independence of France and fight to liberate France from capitalist domination.