HANOI, May 28 — French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday called for a world order “based on law” during a visit to Vietnam, positioning France as a strategic partner for Southeast Asian countries navigating growing tensions between the United States and China.
Speaking alongside Vietnamese President Luong Cuong in Hanoi, Macron said a rules-based international system was vital in a world increasingly shaped by “power-driven rhetoric and intimidation.”
His remarks come as Vietnam finds itself balancing between Washington, which has threatened steep tariffs on its exports, and Beijing, its top trading partner and a rival claimant in the South China Sea.
“Vietnam is on the front line of all the tensions that are growing in the South China Sea,” a senior French diplomat told AFP. “President Macron is proposing a third way—between the American and Chinese approaches—based on multilateralism and legal norms.”
Macron’s comments follow U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat of a 46% levy on Vietnamese goods and his administration’s broader pushback against Chinese influence in the region.
During the visit, France and Vietnam signed around a dozen cooperation agreements, including in nuclear energy. Budget airline Vietjet also placed a $8 billion order for 20 Airbus A330-900 widebody aircraft, doubling its previous purchases.
Macron’s stop in Hanoi is the first leg of a six-day tour of Southeast Asia that will also take him to Indonesia and Singapore. He is expected to promote France’s Indo-Pacific strategy throughout the trip. Vietnam, a country of 100 million with rapid economic growth, has adopted what it calls a “bamboo diplomacy”—seeking flexibility and resilience in balancing major power relationships.
Later on Monday, Macron held talks with Communist Party General Secretary Tô Lâm, Vietnam’s most powerful leader, and paid tribute at a war memorial dedicated to those who fought French colonial forces.
The visit has drawn criticism from human rights groups. Human Rights Watch urged Macron to publicly address what it described as Vietnam’s “worsening rights record,” citing the imprisonment of over 170 political prisoners under laws criminalising dissent. Macron has said in the past he prefers to raise such issues behind closed doors.
As Vietnam navigates rising geopolitical headwinds, Macron is betting on France’s historical ties and economic partnerships to deepen engagement with the region. “It is truly a new page being written between our two countries,” Macron said. “We want to help build peace, stability, and prosperity based on shared rules and mutual respect.”
