French President, Emmanuel Macron has called for closer cooperation between Vietnam and France.
This came as he visited Hanoi as part of a Southeast Asia tour focused on strengthening regional ties.
This is Macron’s first trip to Vietnam since he took office in 2017.
The visit comes amid trade tensions, with the US threatening steep tariffs on goods from Europe.
Vietnamese imports to the United States were hit with 46% tariffs — among the highest rates applied to any country — in April.
He paid tribute at a Hanoi war memorial to those who fought the French colonial rulers and met with his counterpart Luong Cuong, as well as Communist Party General Secretary, To Lam.
Macron also visited the 11th century Temple of Literature in the heart of the Vietnamese capital.
Macron emphasized the need for “an order based on law” at a time of “both great imbalance and a return to power-driven rhetoric and intimidation.”
Macron signed more than a dozen agreements on defense, nuclear power and trade, including one with the Vietnamese budget airline company VietJet and Airbus to buy 20 A330-900 planes.
The deal with European planemaker Airbus for Vietnam’s low-cost airline VietJet to buy 20 A330neo wide-body aircraft follows last year’s agreement for 20 of the jets.
The signing followed urging by European officials in recent weeks for Vietnam to be careful in concessions made to the White House, two officials based in Vietnam with knowledge of the discussions had told Reuters, referring to concerns on Airbus.
Airbus is the main supplier of jets to Vietnam, contributing 86% of its fleet, data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows.
A separate agreement with Airbus Defence was also signed during the visit for cooperation with Vietnam on earth-observations satellites.
Airbus has long been in talks with Hanoi for the replacement of Vietnam’s earth-observation satellite, built by Airbus’ predecessor EADS and launched in 2013.
Macron noted that France and Vietnam’s “sovereignty partnership” could be the central axis of France’s approach in the Indo-Pacific.
Macron Asserts France’s Support Of Freedom Of Navigation
Macron reiterated France’s support of freedom of navigation, an issue dear to Vietnam as it often clashes with Beijing over contested boundaries in the South China Sea.
He said that France demonstrated its “desire to defend international maritime law” when it deployed the French carrier strike group in the South China Sea in early 2025.
China and Vietnam have long had a maritime agreement governing the Gulf of Tonkin, but have been locked in competing claims in the South China Sea over the Spratly and Paracel Islands and maritime areas.
Also, Macron stated that France would also support Vietnam in key sectors, including critical minerals, high-speed rail, civil nuclear energy and aerospace, and focus on partnering with the Asian nation to help it transition away from dirty coal power while adding new capacity in renewable energy and civil nuclear power.
Macron added the partnership with Vietnam “entails a reinforced defence cooperation,” citing the signing of multiple projects on defence and space.
Vietnam’s President, Luong Cuong asserted that the defence partnership involved “sharing of information on strategic matters” and stronger cooperation in the defence industry, cybersecurity and anti-terrorism.
France and Vietnam share a comprehensive strategic partnership, Vietnam’s highest diplomatic status, also held with Russia, China and the US.
France ruled the Southeast Asian country for about 70 years until it was forced out in 1954 after a major defeat at Dien Bien Phu in northern Vietnam.
Ties have improved in recent decades, being upgraded last year to Vietnam’s highest level.
After his Vietnam visit, Macron heads to Indonesia and Singapore.
