Overview

• France upgraded its relationship with Singapore to a comprehensive strategic partnership, the first such pact Singapore has with a European country.
• Thirteen agreements were signed covering civilian nuclear energy, intelligence sharing, defence technology, artificial intelligence, education, aviation, maritime affairs and extradition.
• In his Shangri-La Dialogue keynote Macron spotlighted China’s growing assertiveness and the global impact of Russia’s war on Ukraine to advocate for a rules-based order.
• Earlier tour stops yielded a preliminary defence pact with Indonesia and an Airbus planes deal in Vietnam, reinforcing France’s military and economic footprint in Southeast Asia.
• France promotes itself as a ‘third force’ in the region by seeking balanced cooperation with both the US and China while preserving Indo-Pacific states’ autonomy.