French President Macron hopes for defence, energy and tech deals as he starts Asia trip

Macron arrived in Vietnam on Sunday and will then go to Indonesia and finish up in Singapore, where he will speak at the Shangri-La Dialogue

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 week-long 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 social media.

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.

“France is a reliable partner, one which believes in dialogue and cooperation,” Macron also wrote on social media on Sunday.