France, Vietnam sign Airbus deals as Macron visits Hanoi

France and Vietnam signed a deal on Monday for 20 Airbus planes, as well as defence and space pacts, as President Emmanuel Macron visited Hanoi seeking to boost France’s influence in its former colony, grappling with threats of crippling US tariffs.

Macron’s first formal visit to Vietnam, the first by a French president in nearly a decade, follows US President Donald Trump’s threats on Friday to impose 50 per cent duties on European Union goods from June 1, fuelling tensions with the 27-country bloc, though he later delayed that deadline to July 9.

Export-dependent Vietnam, under pressure from Washington to buy more American goods, has made pledges in trade talks to try to avert 46 per cent tariffs that could impair its growth, fanning European concerns about deals at the region’s expense.

France’s President Emmanuel Macron, Vietnam’s President Luong Cuong, Airbus Executive Vice President International Wouter van Wersch and Vietnamese airline company Vietjet CEO Dinh Viet Phuong and chairwoman Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao were present during the signing ceremony in Hanoi.

Deals signed during Macron’s visit covered the plane purchase, cooperation on nuclear energy, defence, railways, Airbus earth-observation satellites and Sanofi vaccines, a list of documents seen by Reuters showed, confirming an earlier report.

In total 14 deals were signed, which would be short of the dozens that the French presidential palace had said were in preparation before the visit, but more agreements were expected to be announced on Tuesday, an official said.

In statements to the press with no questions allowed, Macron reiterated France’s support of freedom of navigation, an issue dear to Vietnam as it often clashes with Beijing over contested boundaries in the South China Sea.

Macron added the partnership with Vietnam “entails a reinforced defence cooperation”, citing the signing of multiple projects on defence and space.

Vietnam’s President Luong Cuong said the defence partnership involved “sharing of information on strategic matters” and stronger cooperation in the defence industry, cybersecurity and anti-terrorism.

France ruled the Southeast Asian country for about 70 years until it was forced out in 1954 after a major defeat at Dien Bien Phu in northern Vietnam. Ties have improved in recent decades, being upgraded last year to Vietnam’s highest level.

On his trip, the first leg of a Southeast Asian tour that includes Indonesia and Singapore, Macron met Vietnamese leaders and will visit a university in Hanoi on Tuesday, before flying to Jakarta, the Indonesian capital.

On arriving in Hanoi on Sunday night, Macron’s wife Brigitte appeared to push him in the face when they were still on the plane, a video showed, in an incident that the Elysee played down as “a moment of closeness”.

The deal with European planemaker Airbus for Vietnam’s low-cost airline VietJet to buy 20 A330neo wide-body aircraft follows last year’s agreement for 20 of the jets.

The companies did not announce the price or delivery schedule for the planes.

The signing followed urging by European officials in recent weeks for Vietnam to be careful in concessions made to the White House, two officials based in Vietnam with knowledge of the discussions had told Reuters, referring to concerns on Airbus.

Airbus is the main supplier of jets to Vietnam, contributing 86 per cent of its fleet, data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows.

Airbus Defence and Space signed a separate declaration of intent with Vietnam on satellites.

Airbus has long been in talks with Hanoi for the replacement of Vietnam’s earth-observation satellite, built by Airbus’ predecessor EADS and launched in 2013. The new pact involves “exploring a future programme”, Airbus said in a statement.

With an economy heavily dependent on US exports, Vietnam has signalled the possible purchase of at least 250 Boeing planes by flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and rival VietJet.

Officials of both nations have said such deals would help cut Vietnam’s huge trade surplus with the United States and possibly appease Trump.

However, in talks with the United States, “Vietnam should make sure not to make decisions at the expense of European interests,” a European official said.

Vietnamese budget carrier VietJet on Monday agreed to place a new order with planemaker Airbus for 20 A330neo wide-body jets, the airline said in a press release, as French President Emmanuel Macron was in Hanoi to meet Vietnam’s leaders.

The agreement brings to 40 the A330neo planes that VietJet has agreed to buy, the company said, as it follows another deal signed last year for 20 A330neo planes.