 "Macron begins Asia tour, eyes defence and tech deals amid global trade tensions")
French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Hanoi on Sunday, kicking off a week-long tour of Asia aimed at deepening ties in defence, energy and technological innovation. This is the first visit by a French president to Vietnam in nearly a decade.
Writing on social media platform X, Macron said he was in the region to strengthen cooperation in “key areas such as defence, innovation, the energy transition and cultural exchanges.”
The trip reflects France and the European Union’s broader effort to build stronger commercial and strategic relationships in Asia, especially amid concerns over US tariff policies under President Donald Trump.
After Vietnam, Macron will travel to Indonesia and conclude his trip in Singapore, where he is scheduled to address the Shangri-La Dialogue — Asia’s premier defence summit.
Macron will present France and Europe as defenders of international cooperation and rules-based trade, at a time when other world powers such as the US under Trump and China use more ”coercive” or ”predatory” methods.
”I am coming here to strengthen our ties in key areas – defence, innovation, the energy transition, and cultural exchanges,” wrote Macron on X.
”France is a reliable partner, one which believes in dialogue and co-operation,” Macron also wrote on X on Sunday.
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