To pitch Paris and the EU as preferable commercial and security allies for a region affected by tensions between Beijing and Washington, French President Emmanuel Macron has begun a six-day journey to Vietnam, Indonesia, and Singapore.
The effort for closer trade and security collaboration from Macron, who arrived in Vietnam late on Sunday, aims to contrast with a progressively militarily assertive China and the enforcement of tariffs by US President Donald Trump on export-dependent nations in the area.
“With France, you have a familiar, dependable and trustworthy friend . . . and in the times we are experiencing, that alone holds great significance,”
Macron said on Monday.
About 14 agreements were finalized for collaboration in defense, civil aviation, transportation, and energy, among others. Vietnam’s President Luong Cuong stated the defense alliance involved “exchange of information on strategic issues.” Trump last month imposed on Vietnam, Indonesia, and other Southeast Asian nations some of his highest “reciprocal” tariff levels after China. While the US president has temporarily suspended those duties, the region’s pursuit of new trade prospects could reinforce connections with the EU.
A French official stated Macron would highlight that the EU continues to support international trade regulations, unlike the current US administration.
“We do not want a wilderness where the rule of the strongest dominates,”
the official said. Security topics will also be noted on the schedule, given Beijing’s increasingly assertive naval company in the South China Sea and strains with Taiwan. Macron has previously concentrated diplomatic efforts on countries including China — where he conducted a state visit in 2023 — India and Japan, as part of his approach to positioning France as an Indo-Pacific power.
France possesses several overseas territories in the Indo-Pacific, including La Réunion and Mayotte, which are home to approximately 1.7 million people. Its naval frigates carry out patrols in the South China Sea, and the nation has multiple military bases in the expansive region. Vietnam and Singapore already hold free trade agreements with the EU, while Indonesia has been negotiating to establish one. Vietnam, which has emerged as a manufacturing powerhouse amid a global shift in production from China, in October elevated relations with France to the status of “comprehensive strategic partnership” — the highest tier of diplomatic ties offered by Hanoi.
Shaken by Trump’s threatened 46 per cent tariff, Vietnam is intensifying efforts to diversify trade away from the US, which represents a third of its exports, and to finalise free trade deals with nations in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Vietnam is also relying on its independent foreign policy — described as “bamboo diplomacy” for its “deep roots” and “flexible branches” — combined with a capacity to balance its relationships with superpowers to help secure trade agreements. A deal for VietJet airline to purchase 20 new A330neo aircraft from Airbus was signed on Monday, doubling its previous order. France and Vietnam also agreed to collaborate on satellite initiatives.
Following his visit to Vietnam, Macron will head to resource-rich Indonesia, where President Prabowo Subianto is seeking foreign investments to revitalize a sluggish economy. Indonesia has a history of acquiring French defense assets, such as Rafale fighter jets and Scorpène submarines, in its effort to reduce reliance on Russian military equipment. “Additional contracts may be announced during the trip,” said Céline Pajon, who leads Japan and Indo-Pacific research at the French Institute of International Relations think tank. “France and Indonesia aim to transform their defence partnership into a long-term collaboration structural.”
The Indonesian government stated this month that Macron’s visit represented “the commitment of both nations to strengthen cooperation in addressing global challenges.” Macron intends to discuss diversification of France’s access to materials crucial for smartphone and semiconductor production from Indonesia, a major mineral producer, as stated by the French official. At the conclusion of his Southeast Asian journey in Singapore, Macron will give a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue, the largest defence conference in Asia conference.
