French President Emmanuel Macron said France’s newly signed partnership with Singapore will serve as a “tangible roadmap to innovate together” in fields ranging from artificial intelligence and technology to nuclear energy and defence.
“Our defence cooperation, shared support of multilateralism, and joint investment in breakthrough technologies are all paving the way for future generations,” Macron said during a state lunch with Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam.
Speaking to journalists at a joint presser with Macron, Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said both countries strongly believe in multilateralism and a rules-based global order.
“We know that this global order is shifting. What we have seen before in the decades past is starting to change. No one knows what the new order will be in the coming years. So we are in a period of transition,” Wong noted, emphasising the importance of cooperation between “like-minded countries” during this transitional period.
Macron’s state visit to Singapore is part of his week-long tour of Southeast Asia, where he focused on strengthening regional ties. On Wednesday, the French president met with his Indonesian counterpart Prabowo Subianto to discuss boosting defence and trade cooperation between the two nations.
The French leader is expected to deliver the keynote speech at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s top security conference, later on Friday. The summit will focus on China’s growing assertiveness, the global impact of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the flare-ups of conflicts in Asia.
The French leader is expected to touch on all those issues, as well as the sweeping tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump’s administration that are looming over its Asian allies.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth will also be present this weekend among the world leaders, diplomats and top defence officials attending the Asian security summit, which is hosted by the International Institute for Security Studies.
Hegseth, who is attending the forum for the first time, will give a speech on Saturday, where he is likely to discuss how the Trump administration plans to tackle security challenges in Asia and attempt to convince Asian leaders that the US is a more reliable partner than China.
The defence secretary met with Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong prior to the conference, where he described the extent of the two nations’ military cooperation as “unprecedented”.
“The amount of, the hospitality that you show to our troops, the rotational forces, our ships that are here, but then also the over a thousand members of your military over in the United States,” Hegseth told Wong.
The summit is taking place against the backdrop of escalating tensions between Beijing and Washington, triggered by the Trump administration’s threat to impose triple-digit tariffs on China.
There is also uncertainty regarding the United States’ commitment to defending Taiwan, which it has also threatened with tariffs of 32%. Before boarding his plane for Singapore, Hegseth reiterated his administration’s stance on Taiwan’s defence.
“We seek no conflict with anybody, including the communist Chinese,” he said. “We will stay strong for our interests. And that’s a big part of what this trip is all about.”
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