SE Asia region ‘important’: Macron first European leader in years to tour multiple Asian countries

French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are among the world leaders, diplomats and top defense officials in Singapore this weekend for a security forum that will focus on China’s growing assertiveness, the global impact of Russia’s war on Ukraine and the flare-up of conflicts in Asia. Macron opens the conference with a keynote address Friday night that is expected to touch on all of those issues, as well as the pressure the hefty tariffs announced by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration is putting on Asian allies. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, FRANCE 24’s William Hilderbrandt welcomes Jafar Suryomenggolo, Researcher at the Southeast Asia Center (CASE).