The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Catherine Colonna, met yesterday with her Iranian counterpart, Mr. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, present in Beijing for talks with the Saudi Foreign Minister. The minister renewed her pressing demand for the immediate release of the six French people that Iran is holding (…)
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Diplomacy
China Rehearses “Total Encirclement” of Taiwan in New Military Exercises
written by Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief
This Saturday, April 8, the Chinese army began three days of intense military maneuvers in the Taiwan Strait, in a context of tensions with the island following a meeting in the United States between its president, Tsai Ing-wen, and Kevin McCarthy, president of the House of Representatives, the third highest-ranking American state official.
On Saturday, April 8, the Taiwanese defense already detected eight warships and 42 combat aircraft around the island.
The moves “serve as a stark warning once morest collusion between separatist forces seeking ‘Taiwan independence’ and outside forces,” a military spokesman, Shi Yin, said in a statement.
Today’s exercise focuses on the ability to take control of the sea, airspace and information […] to create a total deterrence and encirclement” of Taiwan, Chinese state television CCTV said.
According to television, destroyers, fast missile ships, fighters and tankers will be deployed during the exercises.
Eight Chinese warships and 42 warplanes were detected by the Taiwanese Defense Ministry around the island on Saturday, on the first day of Beijing’s military drills in the Taiwan Strait.
Twenty-nine planes crossed the median line between China and Taiwan, according to the ministry, which denounced “irrational actions.”
The exact location of these operations has not been disclosed, but on Monday they will involve live-fire firing off the coast of Fujian province, just off Taiwan, the regional maritime authority said in a statement.
The narrowest part of the Taiwan Strait between the Chinese mainland and the island is regarding 130 km wide.
The announcement comes following a meeting on Wednesday April 5 in California between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Shortly following the controversial meeting, Beijing warned that it would take “firm and effective measures to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
China views this island of democratic rule as part of its territory, and opposes any contact between the Taiwanese leadership and representatives of other countries.
“Combat Readiness”
After two days of deploying aircraft and ships near the island, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army announced “a combat readiness exercise in the Taiwan Strait” from April 8 to 10.
However, in the closest place in mainland China to Taiwan, the island of Pingtan, tourists seemed oblivious to the events, taking portraits facing the sea where merchandise ships still circulated.
“I saw the news, but this is not going to spoil our plans today,” said Wu, in her 30s, as she walked along a seafront with her partner.
Another woman, in her 20s and who did not give her name, said she had not heard of the exercises. “What situation? It’s okay,” she said.
China already carried out military maneuvers around the island in August 2022, in response to the visit to Taipei by Nancy Pelosi, McCarthy’s predecessor as head of the House of Representatives.
The current leader of the lower house of the US legislature also wanted to travel to the island, but finally opted for a meeting with Tsai in California to the anger of Beijing.
The Taiwanese leader made a stopover there following visiting Guatemala and Belize, two of the last official allies of the island, which recently lost Honduras to Beijing.
Right now, only 13 countries recognize Taipei. Among them is not the United States, which, however, is one of its main allies and arms supplier.
Back in Taipei, Tsai said Saturday that Taiwan “will continue to work with the United States and other like-minded countries to jointly uphold the values of freedom and democracy.”
The day before, the spokeswoman for Chinese diplomacy, Mao Ning, had said that “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China.”
(With AFP)
Facilitate access to the archives of the Algerian war: publication of a guide dedicated to the archives relating to repatriated Algerians
written by Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief
Since 2018, the Government has been working to facilitate access for all to the archives of the Algerian war. This ambition has materialized through a major amendment to the Heritage Code, which now provides that archives covered by national defense secrets are automatically declassified when they become freely communicable, by decisions to open early entire collections not freely communicable, but also by putting guides online to facilitate research in the archives. After a first guide on the disappeared from the Algerian war and a second on the Harkis, a new research tool has just been published: it concerns repatriated Algerians.
The sources on the subject being very numerous, the guide is divided into three parts:
1. A general introduction, following the usual definitions, presents the complex history of the administration responsible for repatriated persons from 1961 to the present day, then discusses the conditions for the repatriation of persons and goods.
2. A section relating to public policies presents the fonds containing individual files, and focuses on compensation and assistance policies as well as the different types of tribute paid to returnees.
3. A section relating to social policies deals with the housing and living conditions of repatriates, then work, and in particular reclassification, education, and finally the surveillance to which they have been subjected and the claims they have expressed, in particular through their associations.
Led by the Interministerial Service of the Archives of France, this extensive work is the result of close interministerial collaboration between the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of the Armed Forces and the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. It reports on the sources that are kept in French public archive services, both at central and territorial level; it is a broad panorama that does not aim to be exhaustive, but opens up many avenues of research.
The guide, designed to be accessible to the public unfamiliar with the functioning of archives, is intended for all those who, connoisseurs or beginners, academics or amateurs, wish to undertake research on the subject.
This work is part of the policy of recognition of memories desired by the President of the Republic and pursued by the French Government, to which the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of the Armed Forces and the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs intend contribute fully, by allowing researchers, journalists and all interested citizens to access whole sections of the history shared between France and Algeria.
The guide is available at this link.
Draft joint declaration between France and the United Kingdom on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of their ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (06.04.23)
written by Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief
1. Twenty-five years ago to the day, on April 6, 1998, the French Republic and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland jointly ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). Our two countries had signed the CTBT following it was opened for signature on September 26, 1996.
2. France and the United Kingdom were the first two nuclear-weapon States to ratify this treaty. By ratifying it, we made a firm commitment “not to carry out any nuclear weapon test explosion or other nuclear explosion and to prohibit and prevent any such explosion at any place under its jurisdiction or control”.
3. The CTBT is a fundamental element of the international nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament regime, although it has not yet entered into force. In this regard, France and the United Kingdom express their concern following Russia’s announcement of its willingness to be ready to carry out a nuclear test. We reaffirm the importance of the CTBT, which Russia has signed and ratified, and of Russia’s compliance with its moratorium on nuclear testing. We also recall that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is the only country to have conducted nuclear tests of explosive devices in the 21st century. We reiterate that it cannot and never will achieve nuclear-weapon State status under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and we urge it to refrain from new nuclear tests in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
4. In this context, France and the United Kingdom wish to reaffirm their firm and constant support for the universalization and entry into force of the CTBT, in order to make legally binding the voluntary moratorium accepted by almost all all States, as evidenced by the 186 signatures and 174 ratifications of the treaty. The two countries recall that Security Council resolution 2310, which they co-sponsored, urges all States that have not yet done so to sign and ratify the CTBT. This unequivocal call from the Security Council must be heeded.
5. France and the United Kingdom believe that reporting on tangible and solid steps taken towards nuclear disarmament can encourage other countries to sign, ratify and implement the CTBT. Accordingly, France and the United Kingdom have provided political, technical and financial support to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) for 25 years and support the operation of the CTBTO International Monitoring System. .
6. Twenty-five years following it was opened for signature, the CTBT is more important than ever. France and the United Kingdom remain determined to continue to preserve this treaty and make it a universal instrument.