How to P"""" off the French

[Churchlawtonblue]

Noumea Airbase and Faa'a Airbase, both with runways of over 10,000 feet are two more military facilities than we've got in the region. There's also some naval bases.

Nowhere near China though? So more than likely pretty irrelevant, which is why I guess the Aussies weren't bothered about reneging on any deal they had with the French.

 

[west didsblue]

Nowhere near China though? So more than likely pretty irrelevant, which is why I guess the Aussies weren't bothered about reneging on any deal they had with the French.

Only irrelevant in terms of using them as a staging post for a military confrontation with China, but a bit more relevant when you consider Chinese strategic ambitions in the South Pacific.
https://www.usip.org/publications/2020/07/rising-china-has-pacific-islands-its-sights
If AUKUS was about projecting western power in the region, this would be a consideration, and would lead to the AUKUS participants wanting French involvement. But it seems more to do with Australia wanting US tech and the US wanting the business.

 

[metalblue]

Nowhere near China though? So more than likely pretty irrelevant, which is why I guess the Aussies weren't bothered about reneging on any deal they had with the French.

Approximately 4,500 miles and 7,000 miles respectfully. They look beautiful though. One of the best things about French overseas territories is they are governed from Paris and everyone is a French citizen - get on a plane in France and you don’t need to show your passport again when you get off. So everything is largely like you’d find in France but with amazing seas and weather. It’s a yes from me.

The British have Diego Garcia (technically leased to the US military) that is a mere 3,000 miles away and is already a major military base in the region.

 

[metalblue]

Only irrelevant in terms of using them as a staging post for a military confrontation with China, but a bit more relevant when you consider Chinese strategic ambitions in the South Pacific.
https://www.usip.org/publications/2020/07/rising-china-has-pacific-islands-its-sights
If AUKUS was about projecting western power in the region, this would be a consideration, and would lead to the AUKUS participants wanting French involvement. But it seems more to do with Australia wanting US tech and the US wanting the business.

Good article. Be interesting to see over the coming years how close to the US lay China’s ambitions and how much of an “enemy” they think the US is. Obviously for the US they don’t want an area dominated by an imperialist China but would seem largely happy with them exerting soft power. China on the other hand want as much of a barrier between them and what they see as a interference from Washington in affairs they consider to be China’s sphere of influence.

 

[Churchlawtonblue]

Only irrelevant in terms of using them as a staging post for a military confrontation with China, but a bit more relevant when you consider Chinese strategic ambitions in the South Pacific.
https://www.usip.org/publications/2020/07/rising-china-has-pacific-islands-its-sights
If AUKUS was about projecting western power in the region, this would be a consideration, and would lead to the AUKUS participants wanting French involvement. But it seems more to do with Australia wanting US tech and the US wanting the business.

maybe, but i guess we are both guessing when it comes to Australia's military strategy in the pacific. :-)

 

[BobKowalski]

Nowhere near China though? So more than likely pretty irrelevant, which is why I guess the Aussies weren't bothered about reneging on any deal they had with the French.

Fun fact. Paris is closer to Beijing than Canberra.

 

[Churchlawtonblue]

Only irrelevant in terms of using them as a staging post for a military confrontation with China, but a bit more relevant when you consider Chinese strategic ambitions in the South Pacific.
https://www.usip.org/publications/2020/07/rising-china-has-pacific-islands-its-sights
If AUKUS was about projecting western power in the region, this would be a consideration, and would lead to the AUKUS participants wanting French involvement. But it seems more to do with Australia wanting US tech and the US wanting the business.

Thanks for posting that article, I will have a read of it later. Here's another one that might interest you. its 6 yrs out of date but the situation has only got worse since then for western democracies trying to secure mineral rights. The Chinese don't mind how they cut deals to secure the developing worlds mineral resources. This will have a major impact on the race for future green economies and renewables.

 

[west didsblue]

Thanks for posting that article, I will have a read of it later. Here's another one that might interest you. its 6 yrs out of date but the situation has only got worse since then for western democracies trying to secure mineral rights. The Chinese don't mind how they cut deals to secure the developing worlds mineral resources. This will have a major impact on the race for future green economies and renewables.

It might have interested me if you posted the link ;-)

 

[blueish swede]

Will the Aussies be patroling the channel for migrants?

 

[Churchlawtonblue]

It might have interested me if you posted the link ;-)

Oops Sorry

The Chinese scramble to mine Africa

25-fold investment jump in less than a decade. That's how fast China's gaining control over Africa’s mining industry. And Beijing's only pushing harder now.

www.mining.com