Vietnam’s relationship with France is raised to the top level

There is now a “comprehensive strategic partnership” between Vietnam and France. This is the top level of relationship between the two countries. It happened while Vietnamese President To Lam was in Paris.

The move showed Vietnam’s growing strategic importance as a key link in global supply lines. It is also the latest success for Vietnam’s flexible foreign policy, which is also known as “bamboo diplomacy.”

A joint statement made on Monday after the upgrade said that Lam and French President Emmanuel Macron talked about stepping up their cooperation on security and defense.

It was also said that the leaders decided to work together more closely in new areas, like space travel, AI, and the infrastructure for airport transportation.

After making a lot of deals in the past few years, Vietnam’s other seven best partners are now the US, China, India, South Korea, Japan, Russia, and Australia.

Official numbers show that trade between Vietnam and France was worth $3.4 billion in the first eight months of this year, which is 6.9% more than the same time last year.