THE FRENCH REPUBLIC’S PIVOT TO ASIAPACIFIC POLICY AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VIETNAM’S FOREIGN POLICY.

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC’S PIVOT TO ASIAPACIFIC POLICY AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VIETNAM’S FOREIGN POLICY.THE FRENCH REPUBLIC’S PIVOT TO ASIAPACIFIC POLICY AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VIETNAM’S FOREIGN POLICY.THE FRENCH REPUBLIC’S PIVOT TO ASIAPACIFIC POLICY AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VIETNAM’S FOREIGN POLICY.THE FRENCH REPUBLIC’S PIVOT TO ASIAPACIFIC POLICY AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VIETNAM’S FOREIGN POLICY.THE FRENCH REPUBLIC’S PIVOT TO ASIAPACIFIC POLICY AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VIETNAM’S FOREIGN POLICY.THE FRENCH REPUBLIC’S PIVOT TO ASIAPACIFIC POLICY AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VIETNAM’S FOREIGN POLICY.

NGUYEN THI LE VINH

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC’S PIVOT TO PACIFIC POLICY AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR

ASIA-VIETNAM’S FOREIGN POLICY Specialization: Political Science

Code: 9310201

SUMMARY OF DOCTORAL THESIS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE

Nghe An - 2022

Supervisors: 1 Assoc.Prof Dr Bui Van Dung

2 Assoc.Prof Dr Dinh Trung Thanh

at ………… hour …… day…… month ………

The thesis can be found at:

- Information Center - Nguyen Thuc Hao Library, Vinh University

- Vietnam National Library

A INTRODUCTION

1 Reasons for choosing topic

Besides being a large geographical area that accounts for 46% of the globalarea, Asia - Pacific is the backbone of global trade due to the concentration of many ofthe world's most important sea traffic routes However, this area received littleattention from the French for a long time after the Second World War until the end ofthe Cold War During that period, France focused on building the European Union(EU), towards its neighbors, and considered Africa as a foreign priority

France is a great power with a strong cultural, economic, military and politicalinfluence in Europe and around the world As Asia - Pacific has strongly become thecenter and growth engine of the global economy, France’s foreign policy strategy hasbeen determined to not ignore Asia - Pacific France's pivot to Asia-Pacific policydemonstrates the desire of Europe's leading power to accelerate its "pivot" to Asia, aswell as getting closer to the Asia-Pacific - a region with "great potential" in terms ofeconomy

Looking back at nearly 50 years of official relations between Vietnam andFrance (1973 - 2022), it can be said that this is a relationship that started anddeveloped under special conditions The establishment of the Strategic Partnershipbetween the two countries in 2013 not only reflects a strong relationship establishedand consolidated over the previous decades, but also shows their desire anddetermination to bring the bilateral relationship to a higher and deeper developmentwith a solid and long-term vision

The world is constantly changing with many unpredictable factors Based on themethodology of Marxism - Leninism and Ho Chi Minh's thought, thoroughly graspingDirective No 32-CT/TW of the Politburo dated February 18th, 2019 and Resolution ofthe 13th National Congress of the Republic Socialist of Vietnam, it is necessary toconstantly monitor, observe, evaluate and forecast closely to the actual situation inaddition to clearly indicating Vietnam's opportunities and challenges in foreign policy.This enables the formulation of specific guidelines and policies to ensure the highest

national interests, contributing to the successful implementation of the strategic goalsset out by the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam Inspired by

such theoretical and practical meanings, the author chooses the topic "The French

Republic's pivot to Asia-Pacific policy and recommendations for Vietnam's foreign policy” for his PhD thesis in Political Science.

2 Aims and objectives of the research

2.1 Research aims

The author conducts research on France's pivot to Asia-Pacific policy andassesses actual practice of the policy and its impacts on Vietnam in addition to makingforecasts about the development trend of France's pivot to Asia-Pacific policy andrecommendations for Vietnam's foreign policy

2.2 Research objectives

- Giving an overview of research works related to the thesis topic

- Clarifying the objectives, content and factors affecting France's pivot to

3 Object and scope of the research

3.2.2 Regarding space

As the Asia - Pacific region is very broad in terms of geopolitics, the researchscope focuses mainly on major partners of France including China, India, and theAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

4.2 Methodology

The author used following specific research methods:

- Document collection, classification and research: This method was used to

select and classify secondary documents according to research needs

- Analysis, synthesis and statistics: The author used this method to analyze the

content and assess the practice of France's pivot to Asia-Pacific policy

- Comparative method: This method was used to find out similarities and

differences in foreign policy across presidential terms; compare priorities amongdifferent partners in the actual implementation of France’s foreign policy

- Quantitative method: After collection of data, the author prepared tables and

charts to strengthen the reliability and reflect more easily and clearly the assessment ofthe actual implementation of France's pivot to Asia-Pacific policy in economic aspect

- Historical - logical method: this method was used to study the specific

historical context of the formation and development of France's pivot to Asia - Pacificpolicy and find out issues with common and specific laws, richness, diversity andtrends in the French pivot policy

- System - structure method: the theory of the system-structure method was

applied to recognize and assess the Asia-Pacific pivot policy in France’s overallforeign policy At the same time, the author combined theory with practice tomake

recommendations for Vietnam's foreign policy in Vietnam-France relations in in particular and in international relations in general.

5 New contributions of the dissertation

- The thesis assesses the impacts of France's pivot to Asia - Pacific policy onVietnam

- The thesis also makes forecasts about the development trend of France's pivot

to Asia-Pacific policy in the context of many changes in international relations

- Last but not least, the thesis proposes points of views and recommendationsfor Vietnam's foreign policy for both bilateral and multilateral relations

6 Research questions and research hypotheses

6.1 Research questions

- What are research works on France's pivot to Asia - Pacific policy?

- Why did France pivot to Asia - Pacific? What are the objectives and content ofFrance's pivot to Asia - Pacific policy?

- What is the practice of France's pivot to Asia - Pacific policy and its impacts

on Vietnam?

- How is the development trend of France's pivot to Asia - Pacific policy? Whatare points of view and recommendations for Vietnam's foreign policy in the context ofFrance's pivot to Asia - Pacific?

6.2 Research Hypothesis

France's pivot to Asia-Pacific policy has made an impact on the region ingeneral and Vietnam in particular Therefore, it is necessary that Vietnam hascountermeasures

to promote economic integration and development associated with national defense.

7 Structure of the thesis

In addition to the introduction, table of contents, conclusion and appendices, the thesis is divided into 4 chapters and 11 sections

B CONTENT CHAPTER 1 OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH SITUATION

Many documents and scientific works have been published in Vietnam andabroad related to the topic with different approaches

Firstly, there are research works on French foreign policy which were carried

out by authors in Vietnam and abroad with various content and many different aspects.There are some main outstanding research directions as follows: theoretical andpractical issues on the basis of planning and implementation of France's foreign policytowards countries, regions and organizations around the world; France's leading roleand influence in EU foreign policy making; the harmony between France's foreignpolicy and common foreign and security policy of the entire European Union; newmovements of the world order and the situation in the Asia - Pacific region that result

in the adjustment of France’s policy; France’s challenges and prospects in Asia Pacific Despite the fact research works have partly reflected the foreign policy ofFrance, they mainly approached by specific presidential term There is a limitednumber of analytical and synthetic studies on French foreign policy

-Secondly, research works on the pivot to Asia-Pacific policy mainly focus on

the policies of some countries such as the US, China, Japan, India, and Russia Theseworks have reflected the concept of pivot to Asia-Pacific policy, the strategicimportance of Asia - Pacific region besides goals and content of the pivot to Asia -Pacific policy of the above-mentioned countries There are only a few research works

on France's pivot to Asia-Pacific policy which are mainly conducted by foreignscholars They have partly reflected the content and practice of policy implementationfrom 2012 to present However, there has been no work that fully assesses the practice

of France's pivot to Asia - Pacific policy and its impacts on Vietnam

Thirdly, research works on Vietnam's foreign policy towards France mainly

focus on studying Vietnam - France relations in various fields and over differentperiods without deep analysis of Vietnam’s foreign policy in the context of France'spivot to Asia - Pacific No research work has either made forecasts about thedevelopment trend of France's pivot to Asia - Pacific or proposed points of views and

recommendations for Vietnam's foreign policy on bilateral and multilateral relations torespond to regional and international changes in the context of France’s pivot to Asia

(3) Assessing the impacts of France's pivot to Asia - Pacific policy on Vietnam.(4) Forecasting the development trend of France's pivot to Asia - Pacific,proposed points of views and recommendations for Vietnam's foreign policy onbilateral and multilateral relations to respond to regional and international changes inthe context of France's pivot to Asia - Pacific

Conclusions of Chapter 1

The Asia policy of the French Republic was mainly established after the ColdWar There have been many research works by domestic and foreign authors andgroups of authors, mainly focusing on such issues as the French Republic’s foreignpolicy, challenges and prospects in Asia-Pacific in addition to objectives and content

of the French Republic 's pivot to Asia-Pacific policy However, no research work hasbuilt a complete theoretical framework on the Asia-Pacific pivot policy, assessed thepractice of France's pivot to Asia-Pacific policy and its impact on Vietnam or madeforecasts about the development trend of France's pivot to Asia-Pacific policy topropose points of views and recommendations for Vietnam's foreign policy Based onthe overview of research situation, the author has come up with both theoretical andpractical suggestions and decided to choose the French Republic’s pivot to Asia-Pacific policy for his thesis

CHAPTER 2 SOME THEORETICAL ISSUES RELATING TO FRANCE'S PIVOT TO

ASIA-PACIFIC POLICY 2.1 Concepts of foreign policy and France's pivot to Asia-Pacific policy

2.1.1 Concept of foreign policy

Despite the diversity in the views of scholars on foreign policy, they all have acommon point that considers foreign policy as the strategies, goals and actionsimplemented by a country in its relations with other countries In this thesis, the authorapproaches the foreign policy of a country as the combination of strategies andpolicies used by such country as it interacts in other international relations subjects inthe fields of politics, defense, economy, culture and society to achieve objectives inline with the national interests

2.1.2 Concept of France's pivot to Asia-Pacific policy

Statements of the French Government and the views of different scholars showthat France's pivot to Asia-Pacific policy is a part of France's overall foreign policy toshift its strategy to the Asia-Pacific, redistribute its attention and resources This isbased on the view that any region that have been considered a secondary area for along time must now enjoy its rightful status after an assessment of the internationalsituation and national interests

2.2 Objectives and content of France’s pivot to Asia-Pacific policy

2.2.1 Objectives of France’s pivot to Asia-Pacific policy

The pivot to Asia-Pacific policy was established based on extensive strategic,political - diplomatic, security - defense, cultural and educational considerations withthe fundamental goal of regaining the strategic position of France in this region Inother words, this means regaining the status of a power that plays a significant role, isheard globally and promotes development and innovation within France To achievethis basic goal, two specific objectives have been set forth including increasingeconomic presence and promoting a dynamic political role

2.2.2 Contents of France's pivot to Asia-Pacific policy

The content of France's pivot to Asia - Pacific policy for the period from 2012

to 2017 focuses on two main aspects: diplomatic and economic aspects Additionally,this is a comprehensive policy as it mentions many other fields such as politics,security

- defense, culture and education

Firstly, in terms of diplomacy, the policy focuses on diversifying and deepening

strategic partnerships while ensuring regularity and consistency in the Asia - Pacificregion

Secondly, in term of economy, the policy aims to look for commercial markets

with new business opportunities

Thirdly, in terms of politics, the policy emphasizes the necessity to protect the

position of a great power in the region to exert a great influence on global politics

Fourth, in terms of security - defense, the policy contributes to ensuring

regional security, especially the areas around the overseas territories of France to have

a secure environment conducive to the economic and political activities of France andits partners

Fifthly, the policy aims to take full advantage of the soft power of culture and

education in affirming its position as a great power in the region

In the period from 2017 to present, France’s pivot to Asia-Pacific policy hasbeen inherited by the Macron administration in a more positive and comprehensivedirection, following the general trend, as demonstrated by the announcement of the

"Indo-Pacific Strategy” in June 2018 This strategy is a continuation of the pivot toAsia-Pacific policy and affirms France's long-term commitment to the region

2.3 Factors affecting France's pivot to Asia-Pacific policy

2.3.1 Position and role of Asia - Pacific

Regarding natural - social conditions, Asia - Pacific is a large region and theworld's crucial artery for global energy and commerce in term of both tonnage andvalue Regarding economic position, Asia - Pacific is a dynamic and potential regionwith the convergence of many of the world's leading economies such as China, Japan,India and South Korea, etc Last but not least, in terms of political - security position,Asia - Pacific is the convergence and interference of strategic interests of all major

2.3.2.2 France’s interests in the Asia-Pacific region

In terms of strategic security interests, France is a country that controls manyterritories in the Pacific It means that France is also a power in Asia - Pacific and isthe only European country with direct interests in the region France needs to beguaranteed freedom of entry in this area

Regarding economic benefits, France has sovereignty over an island system inthe Pacific Ocean, allowing the expansion of the exclusive economic zone andcontinental shelf, bringing France economic benefits from exploiting resources fromthe sea It is investment opportunities, free trade and open markets that make Asia -Pacific a real attraction France needs Asia - Pacific as a potential market to revive aneconomy that is still very stagnant after the recession

In terms of cultural and educational benefits, France focuses on strengtheningthe spread of French civilization and culture, the French language, and sharing andspreading French values in resonance with the diversity of other cultures

2.3.3 Structure of the international system

The pivot to Asia-Pacific policy was formed based on the principle ofproactively responding to changes in the structure of the international system Structure

is the organization of elements in the system, where the elements in the system have arelationship and is the combination of rules for the existence of the system for itselements A stable structure in the international system is referred to as the world order.World order is the arrangement, distribution and balance of power among great powers

to maintain the international political stability in a certain period In the current

structure of the international system, the center of gravity of global power shifts fromWest to East leading to a change in the correlation and comparison of forces amongmajor powers in the Asia - Pacific region.

2.3.4 The increase in global challenges

All the countries in the world are currently affected by global challenges whichare problems whose impact poses a great danger to human existence

The first group of global challenges relates to the relationships betweenhumanity's basic social communities The second group results from the interactionbetween human society and the nature while the third group directly pertains to humanexistence in particular This group includes issues related to “human quality”, healthpromotion, intellectual capacity development and moral maintenance such aspopulation and migration issues, fatal diseases and epidemics

It is extremely complicated, difficult and takes a long time in addition to thecoordination from all countries in the world to overcome those consequences.Motivated by the ambition to become a power with global influence, France cannotignore the consideration of adjusting its foreign policy towards the Asia - Pacificregion which has a significant increase in global challenges

2.3.5 Strategic adjustment to the Asia-Pacific region by major countries

The most notable strategic adjustment of the US was in made in early 2011 as

US President B Obama announced the strategic pivot to Asia - Pacific Theimplementation of " Pivot to Asia - Pacific" strategy has proven that the US considersthe Asia - Pacific as an important geo-strategic and geo-political area, directly related

to its national security and global leadership role

China's Belt and Road Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping in September

2013 reflects its strategic adjustment to Asia - Pacific in its foreign policy

Additionally, Russia made a strategic adjustment to the Asia - Pacific which isneither transient nor temporary to deal with the US and the West, but rather acommitment to increase Russia's economic, political and security engagement with thecountries in the Asia - Pacific Russia's adjustment is reflected in its "East strategy"announced by President V Putin in 2010, a year before the Obama administration