Bipolar world would be big mistake, says French president

By Esra Taskin and Alaattin Dogru

PARIS (AA) - A bipolar world order would be a grave mistake, France's president said on Friday, arguing for the need of a "one-world order."

Speaking on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference, Emmanuel Macron stressed that such a world, despite being sought after by many, would be a mistake even if the two ascendant superpowers were the US and China.

In a speech on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference, Macron positioned France as a balancing country in a region long dominated by the struggle between superpowers Washington and Beijing.

Tensions have escalated considerably between Washington and Beijing in recent years over a multiple disputes, including the future of self-governing Taiwan, human rights, and trade.

"We don't believe in hegemony or confrontation. We believe in stability," Macron remarked.

Noting that his country had overseas territories and more than 1 million citizens in the Indo-Pacific region, Macron emphasized that France was at once a European and Indo-Pacific nation.