France’s Evolving Indo-Pacific Strategy: Priorities, challenges and adaptation

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Date March 27, 2026
Speaker Céline PAJON (Research Fellow, Head of Japan and Indo-Pacific Research, Center for Asian Studies, French Institute of International Relations (Ifri))
Commentator & Moderator TAMURA Akihiko (Senior Advisor RIETI / Director General JETRO Paris)
Materials
Announcement

France was the first European country to adopt an Indo-Pacific strategy in 2019. With substantial sovereign interests in the region, as well as deep economic, diplomatic, and strategic interdependencies, France has sought to promote an ambitious, distinctive, and inclusive vision of the Indo-Pacific.
Since then, however, a series of major shocks—the AUKUS agreement, the war in Ukraine, escalating tensions in the Middle East, intensifying U.S.–China rivalry, political unrest in France’s overseas territories, and the return of a Trump administration—have reshaped the strategic environment. Together, these developments have prompted a gradual reassessment and adaptation of France’s approach to the region. The presentation will assess this evolution and highlight the opportunities it creates for enhanced France–Japan cooperation in the region.