France’s strategy in Indo-Pacific “little readable”, according to senators

A Senate report underlines the growing inadequacy between the ambitions displayed and the military means in the face of the revival of tensions in the region.

by Elise Vincent

While the Head of State must present a new roadmap for overseas as part of the future military programming law, a report by the Senate, approved on Wednesday January 25, that MO12345lemonde was able to consult, performs a critical overview of French Indo-Pacific policy. In a context of growing tensions in the region, in particular China pressures on many exclusive economic zones (ZEE), the French strategy lacks “readability”, workers Cédric Perrin (Les Républicains) and Rachid Temal ( Socialist party), which led their work during 2022.

According to the French definition, Indo-Pacific goes from French Polynesia to Reunion, from New Caledonia to the coast of East Africa. France lists 1.6 million citizens there, spread over seven regions, departments and communities. To these territories, we must add 11 million square kilometers of Zee, the second maritime area of ​​this type in the world after that of the United States. However, if the global military presence in this space reaches some 8,000 men, these troops are very fragmented, and piloted by five different zones of command, detail the senators.

/Media reports cited above.