In an address in Paris on June 17 French President Nicolas Sarkozy presented the conclusions of the new French White Paper on defense and national security. The new White Paper mapped out the program for France's military development in the coming 15 years, defined the focus of France's defense and national security, namely "knowledge and anticipation", "deterrence", "protection", "intervention" and "prevention", and stressed that France has a mind to return to NATO's military structures, demonstrating the "new concept" of French military reform.

　　In his estimate of the world situation, Sarkozy held that the possibility of France's involvement in large-scale military conflict with hostile countries no longer exists, while "threat of ballistic missiles, spread of terrorism and emergence of cyber attacks" may not necessary make the world even unsafe, but they will definitely make the world more unstable and unpredictable. Therefore, it is necessary for France to make new adjustments for her national defense policy and military strategies that were worked out in 1994 and carry out major military reform of the French Armed Forces.

　　As a first step of the great reform of military strategy, France has updated its concept of nuclear deterrence. Sarkozy pointed out that nuclear threat is the "life insurance" of a country. France would continue to follow her nuclear deterrence policy. At the same time, he came up with two new nuclear concepts. First, the concept of rationale sufficiency. That is to say, under the premise of satisfying the strategic needs, it should strive to reduce stockpile of nuclear weapons, and he declared that France would cut down her space-based nuclear weapons by 1/3. Second, the concept of "nuclear warning". That is, it will give out "nuclear warning" on the basis of nuclear deterrence, enabling nuclear weapons to have more actual-combat significance.

　　Another key point for the great reform of French military strategy is to build a lean but mighty force. Currently, France has a total of 350,000 troops. Sarkozy plans to cut down 54,000 troops in the next six to seven years. At the same time, France will close down nearly 50 military bases or facilities in order to save military expenditure. However, it will increase outlay for the upgrading of weapons and equipment from ？ 15.5 billion now every year to ？ 18 billion in the future.

　　What's more conspicuous is that France will return to NATO's military structures, which will not only highlight France's presence in international defense affairs, but also make NATO more Europeanized. In the meanwhile, France can also play a leading role in defense affairs in the EU by virtue of the U.S., thereby fostering an independent EU defense force on the basis of NATO, so as to realize Sarkozy's plan to build a "European Fleet" and establish EU 's independent defense policy different from NATO's defense policy.

　　Of course, France won't return to NATO without conditions. The "three principles for France's return to NATO" put forward by Sarkozy, that is, France will, in all circumstances, retain total discretion in the deployment of her troops in participation of NATO's military actions, France's nuclear deterrence will remain strictly national, and France will place no military contingent permanently under NATO command in time of peace. Thus France has left itself enough space to maintain its independence.

　　By Li Qinggong

　　(June 24, PLA Daily)                                              Editor: Chen Jie