Over the past few decades, the world has undergone significant changes in terms of its political, economic, and social systems. These changes have led to a shift in the global order, with new powers emerging and old powers declining in influence.
The United States, long considered the world’s most powerful nation and leader of the free world, is finding itself increasingly isolated on the global stage. In recent years, the country has seen its traditional allies grow increasingly wary of its actions and policies, with many nations seeking to distance themselves from Washington and pursue their own interests. The two new countries are joining the list, Brazil and France.
Curious Case of Brazil
When the American media, Deep State and celebrities threw their full support behind Inácio Lula da Silva in the 2022 election, they could not have imagined that he would make independent foreign policy and align himself with Russia and China.
As of now, it Looks like Brazilian President Lula is taking a different approach than his predecessor Bolsonaro. While Bolsonaro had reservations about China and Russia and kept them at distance, Lula’s got his sights set on courting the leadership in Beijing. And it seems to be paying off. Xi Jinping is thanking him with lots of pomp and even calling him a “good old friend” in Beijing.
He had a discussion with Chinese President Xi Jinping and he was all fired up, calling on the US to quit pushing for war and start talking peace. He also told the European Union to step up and work on peacefully resolving the conflict in Ukraine.
Xi Jinping welcomes Brazil’s president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Beijing
And last week, he declares war on US dollar and IMF. “Every night I ask myself why all countries have to base their trade on the dollar,” Lula said in an impassioned speech at the New Development Bank in Shanghai, known as the “BRICS bank”.
“Why can’t we do trade based on our own currencies?” he added, drawing loud applause from the audience of Brazilian and Chinese dignitaries. “Who was it that decided that the dollar was the currency after the disappearance of the gold standard ?”
He suggested that the BRICS bank should have its own currency to facilitate trade between Brazil, China, and other BRICS countries. Lula also criticized the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for allegedly imposing harsh spending cuts on cash-strapped countries like Argentina and Brazil.
“No bank should be asphyxiating countries’ economies the way the IMF is doing now with Argentina, or the way they did with Brazil for a long time and every third-world country. No leader can work with a knife to their throat because (their country) owes money”, he aggressively said.
Kindly be aware that the Lula’s Brazil and Argentina are presently working together to create a new currency for Latin America called the “Sur,” which translates to “south” in English. Their goal is to encourage other nations in the region to adopt the currency and to promote regional trade while decreasing reliance on the US dollar.
It’s not the first time Lula has called out the US and EU on their Ukraine policies. Last May, the 77-year-old said the US and EU were actually to blame for stirring up the conflict, and even went so far as to say that Zelenskyy was just as responsible as Putin for the war.
PS: The White House pushes back against Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s barb that the U.S. should “stop encouraging” the Ukraine war.
Lula’s comments were “simply misguided,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby tells reporters, saying the Brazilian leader was “parroting Russian and Chinese propaganda.
The French Resistance
French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. President Joe Biden talk at the NATO summit in Brussels.
When asked which European country is the most anti-American, France undoubtedly comes to mind. France has been at the forefront of anti-American animosity, even before the days of De Gaulle and Chirac. However, since the USSR was a bigger threat to them in Europe, their resistance towards America was not open. Nevertheless, the sentiment persisted within the corridors of power.
This anti-American sentiment is growing stronger after the AUKUS deal. That is why the AUKUS pact between the US, the UK and Australia was a catastrophic mistake. French called the US backed deal “a stab in the back” and recalled its ambassadors to both countries. After all the geopolitical drama, the French did not align themselves with China. However, this changed last week.
The French President sparked controversy when he suggested that Europe should not interfere in any potential conflict between the US and China regarding Taiwan and advocated for Europe to decrease its reliance on the US. Interestingly, he made these comments while visiting Beijing and attempting to strengthen Europe’s ties with China.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has welcomed French counterpart Emmanuel Macron to Beijing
“Europe is currently developing genuine strategic autonomy and should avoid succumbing to a panic reflex and blindly following American policy. Instead, Europe should resist the urge to become involved in crises that do not concern it and should not adopt a bloc mentality. He cautioned that if Europe only acts as a follower with regards to Taiwan, and falls in step with both American and Chinese reactions, it could become a “vassal” rather than a “third pole,” he said during an interview.
It should not come as a shock to onlookers that China is taking a friendly stance towards France. For a while now, France has been a comparatively open port in Europe that China has gravitated towards, even during tense relations with the United States and other more ideologically inclined members of the metaphorical “Western alliance.” Back in 1964, General Charles de Gaulle granted recognition to the People’s Republic of China as the sole lawful representative of the country. This decision, in turn, led to the creation of a two-way relationship at the height of Cold War tension, just four years after the Prague Spring.
A concise sentence early on in the joint statement may be the most significant line of all. In a section devoted to “promoting global security and stability,” China and France have made it clear that they intend to “strengthen the multilateral international system under the aegis of the United Nations, in a multipolar world.”
This idea of a multipolar world is a recurring theme in China-Russia joint declarations. However, the fact that France has now signed a document with China advocating for a multipolar world presents an alternative to the U.S.’s aspiration for a unipolar world. It is one thing for China, Russia, and other members of multipolar international organizations like BRICS or the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to strive for a balance of power in a multipolar world, but it is a whole other matter when a prominent NATO ally joins the call.
In recent times, the strategy of France, and possibly even that of Europe, has diverged from that of the United States on a variety of significant topics, such as Ukraine and the imposition of sanctions on China.
This could have implications for the U.S. in terms of trade and economic competition, geopolitical influence, and security. A deepening alliance between two major global powers could lead to a more cohesive front in opposition to U.S. interests, particularly in regions where the U.S. and China are competing for influence, such as the Indo-Pacific. Additionally, the technology cooperation between China and France could lead to technological advancements that could challenge U.S. superiority in certain areas, such as artificial intelligence, aircraft manufacturing and 5G technology. Hence, it would be important to keep an eye on the evolving China-France relationship and take appropriate measures to safeguard U.S. interests.
