Macron Urges UK, Europe to Reduce US, China Dependencies

During a historic three-day state visit to the UK, French President Emmanuel Macron urged Britain and Europe to reduce their economic and technological dependencies on both the United States and China, warning such reliance threatens sovereignty and strategic autonomy. Speaking to both houses of the British Parliament, Macron emphasized the need to "de-risk" their economies and societies from these dual dependencies, highlighting China's market distortions and US trade policies as destabilizing factors. He called for deeper Franco-British cooperation on defence, immigration, climate change, commerce, and digital regulation, including protecting children online and working on artificial intelligence. Macron also stressed the importance of safeguarding European democracies from foreign interference, disinformation, and social media manipulation, advocating for new regulatory frameworks. His speech marked the first address by a French president to the UK Parliament since 2008 and symbolized renewed ties post-Brexit. The visit included ceremonial events hosted by Britain's royal family and preceded a Franco-British summit expected to deliver new joint initiatives.