Emmanuel Macron tells Scott Morrison ‘we’re by your side’ on China

Yet another country has thrown its support behind Australia in its ongoing battle with Beijing as Scott Morrison bolsters an international alliance.

Emmanuel Macron has declared “we stand by your side” in Australia’s ongoing stoush with China, declaring Canberra “central” to regional stability.

The French President made the comments as he welcomed Prime Minister Scott Morrison at the Elysee Palace in Paris, where the pair discussed Beijing’s increasingly assertive posture in the Indo-Pacific.

Mr Morrison has been on an international tour to bolster an international alliance in the region after accusing China of economic coercion over its year-long campaign of trade sanctions on Australian products.

Speaking alongside Mr Morrison, Mr Macron declared France rejected “any coercive measures taken against Australia”. He described them as a “flagrant violation of international law”.

“You are at the forefront of the tensions that exist in the region, of the threats, and sometimes of the intimidation. I want to reiterate here how much we stand by your side,” he said.

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French President Emmanuel Macron greets Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison at the Elysee Palace in Paris. Picture: Thomas Samson / AFP

G7 leaders have criticised China for human rights abuses in Xinjiang, and anti-democratic crackdowns in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Picture: Leon Neal / Getty Images

“I would like to reiterate how committed France remains to defending the balance in the Indo-Pacific region and how much we consider the partnership we have with Australia to be at the heart of this Indo-Pacific strategy.”

Mr Macron joined UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who Mr Morrison met in London this week, and the US in throwing its weight behind Canberra during the stoush.

Standing alongside the French President, Mr Morrison said the two countries shared common goals and values, describing their co-operation as vital to regional stability.

“Every element of our partnership is about reinforcing the values and the beliefs that we hold dearly,” he said.

“The work that you’ve done in supporting and standing with Australia as we go through some difficult times in the Indo-Pacific … we greatly appreciate that.”

The pair made the remarks before sitting down for wide-ranging discussions over dinner, days after Mr Morrison was invited to attend the G7 summit.

A joint statement from G7 leaders demanded Beijing “respect human rights and fundamental freedoms”, referencing the oppression of the Muslim Uyghur minority in Xinjiang and crackdowns on democratic movements in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Mr Morrison is looking to bolster an international alliance in the face of economic coercion from Beijing. Picture: World Economic Forum (WEF) / AFP

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian described the statement as “deliberate slander” designed to accelerate regional tensions.

“It reveals the malign intentions of the US, and a few other countries, to create confrontation and widen differences and disputes. China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to this,” he said on Tuesday.

During his tour, Mr Morrison has also attempted to bridge the divide between Australia and major developed countries on climate change after refusing to follow the G7 nations by committing to a net zero emissions target by 2050.

The Prime Minister has signed partnerships with Japan and Germany over hydrogen technology, which he has made central to Australia’s energy future, and praised Mr Macron for his leadership on the issue.

“(You are) practically addressing the challenges of technology that are necessary to ensure that not only is a carbon neutral economy achieved in advanced economies but importantly that it’s achieved in developing economies,” he said.

“And for that to occur it requires the technology that makes it achievable for them.”