French finance minister Bruno Le Maire said France was totally opposed to the idea of decoupling.
“We are totally opposed to the idea of decoupling. Decoupling is an illusion,” finance minister Bruno Le Maire told reporters at the French embassy. Le Maire nonetheless defended France’s ambition to become more economically independent in certain sectors. But, he added, the concept of de-risking, which has become a byword in the West in recent months, “does not mean that China is a risk”.
Le Maire’s remarks come as some western countries seek to reduce their economic dependence on China, particularly Germany, which counts the Asian country as its top trading partner and an important market for its automotive industry.