France's Updated Indo-Pacific Strategy: Analysis of Key Provisions

Abstract

France became the first country of the European Union (EU) to establish the Indo-Pacific Strategy. President of the Fifth Republic, Emmanuel Macron, declared his regional commitment at the Garden Island Fleet Base in Sydney on the 3rd of May 2018. By expanding the scope of its foreign policy, France tries to legitimize its status as an Indo-Pacific power. The COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the intensified rivalry between China and the United States forced Paris to adapt to changing strategic circumstances. As a result, on the 26th of July 2021, France presented an Updated Indo-Pacific Strategy, which covers defence, trade, investment, multilateral and climate change issues.