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yesterday

Macron Concludes Southeast Asia Tour with Defence and AI Agreements in Singapore

He will deliver the region’s first keynote by a European leader at the Shangri-La Dialogue to underscore France’s 'third way' approach to Indo-Pacific security.

A worker walks inside a hall at the venue of 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore, Thursday, May 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)
FILE - U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth holds a joint press conference with and Philippine Secretary of Defense Gilberto Teodoro at the Armed Forces of the Philippines Headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, Philippines, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerard Carreon, File)
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Overview

  • Macron secured a deal for 20 Airbus jets valued at around €9 billion and established cooperation on nuclear energy during his visit to Vietnam.
  • In Jakarta, France and Indonesia signed a preliminary defence pact that could lead to new orders of French Rafale fighter jets and Scorpene submarines.
  • During his two-day state visit to Singapore, Macron oversaw the exchange of memoranda covering defence, artificial intelligence, legal cooperation and transport infrastructure.
  • He is set to be the first European leader to deliver the Shangri-La Dialogue keynote speech on May 30, highlighting France’s vision of a middle-path strategy beyond US-China rivalry.
  • The tour reinforces France’s claim as a resident Indo-Pacific power, leveraging its overseas territories to bolster economic and security partnerships across the region.