Editor's Note: This is the first of a two-part assessment that explores France's growing engagement in the Indo-Pacific and what it means for Paris's relations with major players in the region. Amid the Indo-Pacific's growing importance in global affairs, France will look to bolster the region's maritime security through a combination of multilateral dialogue and naval deployments, which will in turn see it play a major role in shaping EU policy toward the region. Since publishing its first Indo-Pacific Strategy in 2019, France has significantly ramped up its naval deployments in the region, including through the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea. Paris's emphasis on maritime security is rooted in the fact that its Indo-Pacific territories make up 93% of France's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), the second largest in the world.