Macron: France owes 'debt' to Polynesians over nuclear tests

PAPEETE, French Polynesia (AP) — President Emmanuel Macron reasserted France’s presence in the Pacific on a visit to French Polynesia aimed in part at countering growing Chinese dominance in the region.

The trip was also designed to underline the government's support for Polynesians, and heal wounds over nuclear testing on the atolls of the former colony, half a world a way from Paris.

Macron stopped short of apologizing Tuesday, but acknowledged France's “debt” to Polynesians over the underground and atmospheric tests, which ran from 1966-1996.

He promised money for cyclone shelters to help the island territory cope with climate change, and more help in fighting the virus in a region where most islands have no airport, and reaching emergency services can be a question of hours, or even days.

His hosts showered him with garlands upon arrival in Tahiti, and singers in traditional straw skirts intoned the Marseillaise on the Marquesas Islands while Macron, in his standard suit and tie, stood at attention.

He said Polynesians “touched him to the heart,” and that France’s communities in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean have an essential role to play in its geopolitical strategy.

“We have a new page to write together,” he said of French Polynesia, which has enjoyed a special autonomous status since 2004, but is still overseen by Paris.

He described France's “incredible luck” to have lands in the Pacific, “where everything is being written today.”

China’s ambitions for the region were central to this trip. He spoke of “confrontation between great world powers” in the region and said France is counting on partnerships established in recent years with Australia, New Zealand, India and Japan.

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