French President Emmanuel Macron began a week-long trip to Asia on Sunday, with the aim of securing agreements in key sectors such as defence, energy, and technology innovation.
Macron’s first stop is Hanoi, marking the first visit to Vietnam by a French president in nearly a decade. He will then travel to Indonesia and conclude his trip in Singapore, where he is scheduled to speak at the Shangri-La Dialogue, a major Asian defence forum.
The visit comes as France and the European Union seek to deepen their commercial ties in Asia, partly in response to uncertainties surrounding U.S. trade policies under President Donald Trump.
“I am coming here to strengthen our ties in key areas – defence, innovation, the energy transition, and cultural exchanges,” Macron stated on X (formerly Twitter).
Macron is expected to position France and Europe as proponents of international cooperation and rules-based trade, contrasting this approach with what are perceived as more assertive or exploitative practices by other major powers, including the U.S. and China.
“France is a reliable partner, one which believes in dialogue and co-operation,” Macron also wrote on X on Sunday.
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