Macron Launches Asia Tour in Vietnam With Energy Deals
French President Emmanuel Macron begins his Southeast Asia tour in Vietnam, focusing on energy, transport, and infrastructure.
French President Emmanuel Macron kicked off his Southeast Asia tour on May 25 in Hanoi, where he is holding talks with Vietnam’s leadership and finalizing an agreement between the French Development Agency and Vietnam’s National Power Transmission Corporation. The focus of the visit includes renewable energy, infrastructure, and transport.
The trip marks a continuation of efforts to expand France’s influence in Asia and reinforce its Indo-Pacific strategy.
Following Vietnam, Macron will head to Indonesia to strengthen bilateral ties before concluding in Singapore, where he is scheduled to deliver remarks at the Shangri-La Dialogue, a key annual defense summit.
According to the Élysée, the three-country visit “illustrates the density of the ties France has forged in all sectors, including energy, transportation, and defense.”
Macron is under pressure from human rights groups to raise civil liberties concerns with Vietnamese officials. Human Rights Watch urged him to address the growing crackdown on freedom of speech and the imprisonment of dissidents, stating that Vietnam’s repression is at odds with its pledges to France and the EU.