French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Hanoi on Monday for his first official visit to Vietnam, marking the first such visit by a French head of state in nearly a decade. The trip saw the signing of a row of bilateral agreements, including deals for Airbus aircraft, defence cooperation, and satellite collaboration, as both nations sought to deepen ties amid growing global trade tensions.
“The major challenges of the century—climate, economic, geopolitical—can only be met in cooperation with our partners, and especially with this region of the world, a key crossroads of global trade, a centre of innovation, growth, and technology,” posted Macron on X.
The French President is on a strategic tour to Vietnam, Indonesia, and Singapore, marking Hanoi as the first stop. On Tuesday, he is expected to visit a university in Hanoi before departing for Jakarta.
Vietnamese General Secretary of the Communist Party To Lam, right, shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron at the office of the Party Central Committee in Hanoi. (AP Photo)
Major deals and agreements
- Airbus secures major jet deal with VietJet: European planemaker Airbus and Vietnam’s low-cost carrier VietJet came to an agreement for the purchase of 20 A330neo wide-body jets. This deal builds on a previous provisional agreement and reinforces Airbus’s strong presence in the Vietnamese aviation market—where it currently supplies 86% of the country’s commercial aircraft fleet, reported Reuters citing data from Cirium.
- Satellite cooperation and tech transfers: In addition to the aircraft deal, Airbus Defence signed an agreement to collaborate with Vietnam on earth-observation satellites. The two countries are advancing talks to replace Vietnam’s existing satellite, which was built by Airbus’s predecessor EADS and launched in 2013. France also committed to transferring vaccine production technology via pharmaceutical company Sanofi, according to documents seen by Reuters.
- Defence and strategic partnerships: President Macron said the partnership with Vietnam entails a reinforced defence cooperation, as he met Vietnamese President Luong Cuong in Hanoi. Cuong confirmed this, stating the partnership would involve the “sharing of information on strategic matters” and greater cooperation in the areas of defence industry, cybersecurity, and counter-terrorism. Both leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to freedom of navigation in the South China Sea—a sensitive topic for Vietnam, which has frequently clashed with China over territorial claims in the region.
Vietnam’s President Luong Cuong, center right, and French President Emmanuel Macron attend a welcome ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi. (Pool Photo via AP)
Economic diplomacy amid US tariff pressure
Macron’s visit comes at a time of heightened trade tensions, following US President Donald Trump’s threat to impose 50% tariffs on EU goods starting June 1. However, Trump later said on Monday that he has agreed to extend trade talks with the European Union until July 9 and would delay the imposition of his threatened 50% tariff on EU goods.
Vietnam, under pressure from Washington to reduce its trade surplus with the US, has also pledged to buy more American goods in an effort to avoid 46% duties that could harm its export-driven economy.
Delegation during a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi (Pool Photo via AP)
European officials have privately urged Vietnamese leaders to avoid making trade concessions to the US that could come at the expense of European interests.
France ruled Vietnam as a colony for nearly 70 years before being ousted in 1954. Bilateral ties have since improved steadily, with relations being upgraded last year to Vietnam’s highest diplomatic tier.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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