How 16,000-ton 9-inch cruisers could change Dunkerque

Would France still build the Dunkerque class if treaties allowed 16,000-ton cruisers with 9-inch guns?

Yes, but likely with heavier 14- or 15-inch guns so the ship retained a decisive advantage over the larger cruisers.

France would probably still build a Dunkerque-type ship because Germany remained the strategic problem. The design would change if very large cruisers carried 9-inch guns around the world. An 11-inch main battery would no longer create enough margin over the cruiser threat. France might develop a heavier weapon or buy British or American 14- or 15-inch guns.