France views the South China Sea as a strategic region.

This is a five-month combat training program for the French Navy, which began on February 28th.

At a press conference in Ho Chi Minh City, the commander of the Mistral, Lieutenant Colonel Stanislas de Chargères, stated: “This five-month voyage, in addition to training, also has practical combat implications as we are visiting areas of strategic interest to France. The presence of the group of ships in the South China Sea demonstrates our desire to maintain freedom of navigation in all seas in accordance with international law.”

During this visit by the Mistral and Courbet, the French navy will conduct joint training exercises with the Vietnamese navy.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/phap-xem-bien-dong-la-vung-chien-luoc-185657517.htm