France, May 28 -- French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to Indonesia is part of France's ongoing efforts to increase its engagement in Southeast Asia and pursue a strategic role as a balancing power in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Jakarta stop, following a visit to Vietnam earlier in the week, is the second leg of a broader regional tour designed to promote Macron's so-called "third way" - a middle path between the growing influence of the United States and China.

As Southeast Asia's largest economy and the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation, Indonesia has become a key partner in this vision.

During Macron's visit this Wednesday, the two countries signed a series of agreements across defence, trade, agriculture, energy, an...