In a symbolic gesture steeped in history, French President Emmanuel Macron commenced his six-day tour of Southeast Asia with a solemn tribute at the Hanoi War Memorial on Sunday evening, honouring those who died resisting French colonial forces. The visit, which will also take him to Indonesia and Singapore, reflects France’s growing 'strategic interest' in the region amid rising geopolitical shifts and global trade tensions.
Macron, known for his outspoken stance on human rights, arrived in Vietnam’s capital late Sunday. His first official engagement is expected to be a meeting with Vietnamese President Luong Cuong, followed by a lunch engagement with Communist Party General Secretary To Lam at the Temple of Literature — one of Hanoi’s most revered historical landmarks.
Lam, widely regarded as one of Vietnam’s most powerful figures, holds significant sway in a one-party state that maintains little tolerance for dissent. Macron’s visit comes at a time when Vietnam’s human rights record has drawn criticism from international watchdogs.
In a statement issued ahead of the visit, Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged the French President to speak out against “the Vietnamese government’s worsening rights record.” The organisation said, “Vietnam has more than 170 political prisoners who have been charged and convicted under draconian laws that criminalise free expression and peaceful activism for human rights and democracy.”
Macron’s advocacy on such issues has previously seen him take a firm stand against the Israeli government over its actions in Gaza, strengthening expectations that he may broach similar concerns during his Vietnam trip.
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The timing of the French leader’s visit coincides with the 46th ASEAN Summit being held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, signalling a wider diplomatic agenda that interlinks regional engagement and France’s Indo-Pacific strategy. The French President’s tour is expected to advance cooperation in critical sectors including energy, defence, and transport.
According to a senior aide, Macron’s engagements in Hanoi are aligned with his broader “Indo-Pacific strategy,” which seeks to offer “a third way” to regional players amid tensions between China and the United States. “He is defending the idea of international trade rules; we don’t want a jungle where the law of the strongest prevails,” the aide said.
Vietnam has recently come under economic pressure as well, with US President Donald Trump threatening a punitive 46 per cent tariff on Vietnamese exports as part of his administration’s ongoing global trade offensive. Macron’s visit is thus being closely watched by diplomats and analysts for signs of deepening European involvement in balancing competing global forces in Southeast Asia.
The French President’s subsequent stops in Indonesia and Singapore are expected to build on similar themes of regional cooperation, economic engagement, and democratic values — with particular attention on maritime security and climate-related partnerships.
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