In Geopolitics Today - Friday, October 22nd
Cuba Joins China’s Belt & Road Initiative and France Discusses European Defence with the United States
Cuba Joins China’s Belt & Road Initiative
Cuba has officially joined the Alliance for Energy project, which is a part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Havana’s Ambassador in Beijing, Carlos Miguel Pereira, highlighted the importance of BRI projects being promoted and financed by Beijing in an effort to expand and diversify energy cooperation. Pereira also reaffirmed Cuba’s commitment to sustainable development, and promised to pursue the common goals of the alliance. The diplomat also invited companies and institutions from other BRI participating countries to work on the promotion of green energy with the goal of achieving independence in the energy sector.
While Chinese investments in Cuba are nothing new, the move to join BRI comes at a time of increased geopolitical tensions between the United States and China. China has been very active in securing infrastructure deals in South America, which has caught the attention of policymakers of Washington eager to push back against Beijing’s growing influence. The US is said to be planning its own set of infrastructure investments in South and Central America to counter China’s involvement in what Washington has long considered its ‘backyard’.
The geopolitical struggle forming between the United States and China may be playing out similarly to that of the Cold War, when the Soviet Union sought to counter US missiles based in Turkey by positioning its own in Cuba. In this light, Cuba’s accession to the BRI may well be a move by Beijing to respond to Washington’s increased military support to Taiwan. While Washington is focused preparing its allies for the tussle again, China is continuing its vast infrastructure investments under the banner of the BRI, with Cuba the latest country to join. For Cuba, long under a total blockade by the United States, investments from Beijing may be the lifeline the country needs as Havana remains largely isolated from the region.
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France Discusses European Defence with the United States
The last time US President Joe Biden spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron was in September, with their conversation taking place just after the announcement was made that the US will supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines. The spat which followed the decision strained relations as the deal meant France lost out on an existing deal to sell French-built conventional submarines to Australia. Since then, the two leaders appear to have patched things up, and have now held a call on the future of European defence.
The two leaders discussed strengthening European defences, with Macron reportedly securing a significant commitment from Biden which stipulates that the US will respect French-led efforts to boost European defence and autonomy. On the other hand, Biden has sought to bring NATO members on board its Indo-Pacific strategy of containment toward China. The outcome of the call signals that the United States will allow France the freedom to boost European defence in a manner which ensures complementarity with NATO. Furthermore, a statement released by the White House included a US commitment of support toward French counter-terrorism operations in the Sahel.
US officials have been quick to patch up ties with France following the fallout from the AUKUS deal, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visiting Paris earlier this month for one-to-one discussions with Macron. It remains unclear whether ties between the two allies are back on track, but there are positive signs. France has returned its ambassador to Washington, and while Biden did not directly apologise to Macron for negotiating the AUKUS deal in secret, he acknowledged that the issue "would have benefited from open consultations among allies." The two leaders will meet again in Rome later this month, where they are expected to discuss matters related to European defence in more detail.
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