France appoints first ambassador for Indo-Pacific amid China's growing influence

France has appointed Christophe Penot, the French ambassador to Australia as the first envoy for the Indo-Pacific amid growing Chinese influence in the region. Penot will be based in Paris and will be responsible for diplomatic coordination across the Indo-Pacific and will travel at regular intervals to forge deeper ties with countries across the region.

Penot will be replaced as a French ambassador in Australia by Jean-Pierre Thebault, who will take charge of the embassy next week. Jean-Pierre Thebault has served as France's environment ambassador and was responsible for organising the G7 summit in Biarritz in 2019. 

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To cooperate with India, Australia

France will focus more on cooperation with Australia and India through a trilateral dialogue, which would work separately from QUAD, a grouping of the United States, Japan, India, and Australia formed to counter threats and ensure security in the Indo-Pacific region. The trio will work together to create a more secure and free Indo-Pacific region for the world's benefit. 

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The move is being seen as a counter to China's assertiveness in the region, which is seeking more influence by suppressing smaller countries and allies of the West. The United States has already been countering China by increasing military presence in the South China Sea and the East China Sea and now France is also aiming to confront Beijing in a similar way, but with a less militaristic approach.

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The Western countries have become wary of China ever since the coronavirus pandemic shook the entire world, and more so over the Chinese Communist Party's actions in Hong Kong and treatment of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang. The European Union, of which France is a key member, had warned China last week that it could face restrictions in the region if Beijing fails to provide greater reciprocity to the bloc.

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