France was informed in advance of China’s recent submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) test in the South Pacific and interpreted the launch as a demonstration intended to reinforce the credibility of nuclear deterrence, Rear Adm. Guillaume Pinget, Commander of the French Pacific Command (CPP), told Naval News in an exclusive interview on July 10. Pinget is scheduled to leave his post later this summer.
The French Pacific Command covers an enormous maritime area stretching from the Panama Canal to the Strait of Malacca. As its commander, Pinget is responsible for French military operations across much of the Pacific and adjacent regions. Speaking shortly after Beijing publicly confirmed the SLBM launch, which reportedly carried a dummy warhead, he emphasized that France pays close attention to developments in the Indo-Pacific because it is itself a sovereign Pacific nation with overseas territories, citizens and permanent military forces in the region.
French overseas territories in the Indo-Pacific are home to approximately 1.8 million French citizens and account for more than 90 percent of France’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the second-largest in the world.
“France is a sovereign nation of the Pacific with French territories and French citizens,” Pinget said. “Therefore, she is fully committed to securing and protecting population, territories and its interests in the region.”
France Was Warned Before the Launch
Discussing China’s missile test, Pinget said France develops its own assessment of regional security developments while maintaining close coordination with allies and partners.
He confirmed that French authorities had received advance notification of the launch.
“France had been advised of the imminence of the launch,” he said.
Pinget did not disclose the intelligence or operational information behind the warning. However, he characterized the test as part of broader nuclear deterrence signaling.
“As a nuclear power, we see those kinds of testing as a way of demonstrating the credibility of nuclear deterrence forces,” he said.
The interview also addressed whether the Chinese launch raised questions concerning the Treaty of Rarotonga, which created the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone. France signed and ratified the treaty’s three protocols in 1996.
Pinget declined to provide a legal assessment, directing treaty-related questions to diplomats.
“I’m not a diplomat. I think you should keep this question to diplomats about treaties,” he said, adding that his role was focused on military operations.
France Maintains Its Indo-Pacific Military Presence
Despite military commitments in other parts of the world, France intends to preserve and strengthen its presence across the Indo-Pacific.
France maintains permanent joint forces in New Caledonia and French Polynesia, where infrastructure, maritime patrol capabilities and surveillance systems are being upgraded.
Pinget has led the newly created French Pacific Command since January 1. The command was established to improve coordination among French forces operating throughout the Pacific.
He explained that the commonly cited figure of roughly 7,000 French military personnel refers to France’s wider Indo-Pacific presence. This includes more than 1,300 personnel in French Polynesia, over 1,800 in New Caledonia and more than 4,000 on La Réunion in the southwestern Indian Ocean.
These permanent deployments are supplemented by forces dispatched from metropolitan France, including aircraft carrier strike groups and Pégase missions conducted by the French Air and Space Force.
“France has global interests, and we have to balance the military effort between different regions of the world,” Pinget said. “Because we have French territories, French citizens and global interests here, we will continue to remain active in this region.”
France Plans to Continue Taiwan Strait Transits
Pinget also discussed China’s expanding naval operations extending from the East and South China seas into the broader Pacific.
Rather than presenting French naval activity as an effort to directly challenge Beijing, he stressed France’s commitment to international law and the rules-based international system.
“Our concern as the French military is the respect of international law, the rules-based international order, multilateralism and the respect of every sovereignty,” he said.
He also confirmed that French warships will continue to transit the Taiwan Strait when operational circumstances warrant such movements.
Asked if those operations would continue, Pinget responded that France would conduct them when necessary.
France Watches Russia-North Korea Military Cooperation
The French commander also raised concerns about increasing military cooperation involving Russia, China and North Korea, with particular attention to Pyongyang’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Pinget pointed to reports of Russian oil supplies reaching North Korea and the possibility that Moscow could provide assistance to North Korea’s ballistic missile capabilities. He described these developments as a matter of concern for France, which holds a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.
France will continue supporting multinational operations aimed at identifying and monitoring North Korean sanctions evasion.
“We will continue these activities. I will deploy assets later this year around the Korean Peninsula to monitor this traffic,” Pinget said.
Future Charles de Gaulle Visit to Japan Remains Uncertain
The discussion also covered the possibility of the French Navy’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle making its first port visit to Japan.
The carrier has yet to visit a Japanese port. During Operation Clemenceau 25, its 2025 Indo-Pacific deployment, the carrier stopped in Indonesia, the Philippines and Singapore but did not visit Japan.
A potential Japanese port call would carry political significance. The Charles de Gaulle contributes to France’s nuclear deterrence posture, while Japan maintains its Three Non-Nuclear Principles.
The carrier’s Rafale M aircraft are capable of carrying the ASMP-A air-launched cruise missile, which forms part of France’s airborne nuclear deterrent.
France traditionally maintains a policy of nuclear ambiguity and does not publicly confirm or deny the presence of nuclear weapons aboard its strategic platforms. Preserving uncertainty about France’s nuclear capabilities is considered part of its deterrence strategy because it leaves potential adversaries uncertain about the circumstances under which France could respond to a nuclear attack.
Japan, meanwhile, maintains its policy of not possessing, producing or allowing the introduction of nuclear weapons into its territory. A visit by Charles de Gaulle would therefore involve considerations extending beyond normal naval scheduling and diplomatic protocol.
Asked whether Japan’s legal framework could complicate such a visit, Pinget said France fully recognizes and respects Japanese law.
“France respects Japan’s laws, understands and respects Japan’s laws and regulations,” he said.
He added that France does not regard Japan’s legal restrictions as an obstacle to the broader defense relationship between the two countries.
“We don’t see Japan’s laws or restrictions as a limitation in our partnership, our exceptional partnership,” Pinget said.
Nevertheless, Pinget did not indicate whether the carrier would ultimately visit Japan.
“If Japan invites France to come, we will see,” he said.
He also noted that operational considerations would play a role in determining whether such a port call takes place.
France and Japan Deepen Defense Ties
France and Japan are expanding cooperation across a wide range of defense areas, including maritime, air, land, cyber and space operations, according to Pinget.
Planned activities include the Brunet-Takamori bilateral army exercise, another Pégase deployment by the French Air and Space Force and, for the first time, the participation of a French Navy vessel in the U.S.-Japan Keen Sword exercise later this year.
France will also maintain its involvement in international operations designed to detect and monitor illicit ship-to-ship transfers associated with North Korea.
The expanding cooperation reflects France’s broader effort to maintain an active military role in the Indo-Pacific, where it regards the protection of its territories, citizens and strategic interests as a long-term priority.
