Macron eyes deals in Southeast Asia amid US-China rivalry

HANOI/PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday that he hoped to strike deals for France in areas such as defence, energy and tech innovation, as he arrived in Vietnam for the start of a roughly weeklong trip in Asia.

Macron arrived in Hanoi on Sunday, marking the first trip to Vietnam by a French president in nearly a decade.

After Vietnam, Macron will then go to Indonesia and finish up in Singapore, where he will speak at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s top defence conference.

Macron’s visit comes as France and the European Union aim to strengthen their commercial ties in Asia to offset uncertainty over US President Donald Trump’s tariff measures.

“I am coming here to strengthen our ties in key areas – defence, innovation, the energy transition, and cultural exchanges,” wrote Macron on X.

Macron, accompanied by his wife Brigitte, will meet his Vietnamese counterpart Luong Cuong and Communist Party General Secretary To Lam on Monday, the first of three state visits in just under a week.

Just like other European Union giants, the French president is trying to diversify France’s relations and to shore up alliances in Southeast Asia and other regions.

The urgency behind this approach. President Donald Trump has started a trade war even with the United States’ allies.

Meanwhile, Southeast Asia has gained even more importance in the given scenario thanks to its industrial base.

However, Vietnam has another advantage: it is a great source critical minerals.