The Indo-Pacific has become central to the European Union’s economic security and geopolitical future, as its trade routes and defence-industrial supply chains are increasingly shaped by Sino–US rivalry. Therefore, the EU has adopted an Indo-Pacific strategy and has expanded its presence. However, a gap persists between ambition and capacity. EU-level initiatives remain largely limited to connectivity, capacity building, and coordination, while meaningful security engagement has been driven primarily by national initiatives. The paper argues that France, as the only European resident power in the Indo-Pacific, illustrates both the potential and the limit of a nationally driven approach.