EU and Australia postpone trade talks
“Submarine Crisis” Unrest
Our reporter’s trainee reporter Wang Wei Our reporter’s reporter Wu Qiong
According to media reports, EU and Australian officials stated on October 1 that the new round of free trade agreement negotiations between the two sides will be postponed to November. Previously, under the leadership of the United States, the United States, Britain and Australia announced the establishment of a new trilateral security partnership. The United States and Britain will support the Australian Navy in establishing a nuclear submarine force, and Australia will cooperate with the United States and Britain to build nuclear submarines in Australia. This not only caused France, which signed an order for the manufacture of conventional submarines at sky-high prices, to suffer a “backstab”, but it also deepened the rift in the relationship within the Western camp led by the United States, and brought the relationship between France and the United States, Britain and Australia to a trough.
Negotiations postponed to November
Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan admitted that the trade negotiations with the European Union had been postponed until next month. On the same day, AFP also confirmed from EU officials that the 12th round of negotiations originally scheduled for October 12 will be postponed to November.
In a statement to Reuters, Tehan said: “I will meet with the Vice-President of the European Commission Dombrowski next week to discuss the 12th round of talks, which will be held in November instead of October. “
The chief spokesperson of the European Commission Eric Mamei said that the decision to postpone the meeting was made by the EU executive agency. When asked if this was a retaliatory measure against Australia for tearing up its submarine procurement contract with France, Ma Mei said: “The EU has no intention of punishing anyone.”
The Australian Financial Review reported that although the European Union did not give an official reason to postpone the negotiations, and European Commission officials in Brussels tried to downplay the possible impact of postponing the negotiations, they admitted that the Australian nuclear submarine project incident triggered the EU’s free trade agreement. The “reflection” of the negotiation.
CNN reported that although the European Commission has the power to negotiate a free trade agreement with Australia on behalf of 27 member states, it is unlikely to advance the agreement if France opposes it.
The European version of the US political media “Politician News Network” stated that because France has lost its submarine orders worth 90 billion Australian dollars and has the ability to “strangle the EU trade agenda” in history, the EU and Australia have been free for three years. Trade agreement negotiations are facing the risk of collapse.
According to reports, the European Union and Australia initiated free trade agreement negotiations in 2018. So far, Brussels has conducted 11 rounds of negotiations with Canberra. The 12th round of negotiations that was postponed was originally scheduled to take place in October.
The EU backs up France
The outside world unanimously believes that the defense agreement “AUKUS” reached by the United States, Britain and Australia suddenly announced is the cause of the sharp turnaround in France-Australia and even Europe-Australia relations. On September 15, Australia tore up its previous contract with the French Navy Group for the purchase of 12 submarines. The three countries of the United States, Britain and Australia announced the establishment of a so-called new trilateral security partnership. Australia will cooperate with the United States and Britain to build nuclear submarines in Australia. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on September 17, deciding to immediately recall the ambassadors to the United States and Australia for consultations.
French Foreign Minister Le Drian bluntly stated that Australia’s approach gave France a “back blow” and “eroded” the trust established between the two countries. He called for a “thorough review” of France-Australia cooperation.
France’s Seine-Marne province member and historian Jean-Louis Tiereau wrote an article that if Australia’s cancellation of the contract is a “trade insult” to France, then the announcement of the establishment of a new trilateral security partnership between the United States, Britain and Australia is right. France’s “diplomatic insult”. France never expected its allies to make such a move.
Agence France-Presse commented that Australia’s decision triggered a major diplomatic dispute between Australia and one of the largest member states of the European Union, which now seems to have affected Australia’s relations with the entire European Union. France has recalled its ambassadors to the United States and Australia, and publicly accused Australian officials of lying, stating that they no longer trust the Australian government.
The EU has also stepped up to support France. European Commission President von Delane questioned whether the EU can reach a trade agreement with Australia. The Chairman of the International Trade Committee of the European Parliament and German MP Langer also stated that there was “a trust issue” between the EU and Australia, and Australia’s decision to terminate the A$90 billion agreement with France was “to some extent an attack on European interests”. .
Relationship fell to the bottom
The “submarine crisis” has brought the relationship between France and the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia to a low point. The EU and its member states have also stood “on their own” on this issue, believing that the US-UK-Australia agreement has sounded a wake-up call for the EU.
Some analysts pointed out that, like the withdrawal from Afghanistan, the United States has not fully negotiated and communicated with its allies this time. This will not only deepen the rift between allies, but also further strengthen Europe’s willingness to “strategic independence.”
The French “Echo” commented that the United States, Britain and Australia gave France a “slap in the face.” Europeans have long imagined that the United States will treat Europe well, but the submarine incident has made France see clearly. Biden only sees Washington’s economic and commercial interests.
The German “Frankfurt Review” reported that the new alliance between the United States, Britain and Australia has aroused strong dissatisfaction in Europe, and the European Parliament has severely criticized the alliance. Europeans doubt that after the Trump era, the US government is taking new cooperation on the geopolitical stage seriously.
Many experts in Australia pointed out that the Australia-France partnership is unlikely to improve in the short term, and Australia may face economic and diplomatic retaliation from the French side. Alan Bem, director of the International and Security Affairs Project of the Australian Institute, an independent public policy think tank, said that US support for Australia’s nuclear submarine construction may prompt other allies to make similar demands, which will bring about the risk of an arms race and affect the strategic stability of the region. Neighboring countries are even more disturbed by the US-Australia military cooperation.
(Editor in charge: Ma Changyan)