Following the official visit to Singapore from December 1 to 3, 2024, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man and his wife will pay an official visit to Japan at the invitation of President of the Japanese House of Councilors Sekiguchi Masakazu and his wife from December 4 to 7, 2024.
The visit is of special significance in realizing Vietnam's foreign policy, taking place in the context of the two countries upgrading their relationship to "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World" in November 2023.
The visit contributes to making parliamentary cooperation between the Vietnamese National Assembly and the Japanese Parliament more substantial and sustainable, thereby contributing to concretizing the content of the Vietnam-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in all fields.
Vietnam and Japan officially established diplomatic relations on September 21, 1973. After more than 50 years of nurturing and building, the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Japan has been continuously consolidated and developed comprehensively in all fields, becoming a bright spot in implementing the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralization of international relations of the Party and State of Vietnam.
After five decades, the bilateral relationship has a good foundation and many common interests, achieving high consensus and support within Japan and major political parties. The framework of the relationship between the two countries has been continuously upgraded, from “Trusted and Stable Partner for Long-term Peace and Prosperity in Asia” (2002) to “Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia” (2009), “Extensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia” (2014), “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World” (November 2023).
The upgrading of the relationship to “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World” reflects the high level of political trust and maturity of the Vietnam-Japan relationship, opening a new period of more substantive and effective development cooperation in all fields, meeting the wishes, needs and interests of the people of the two countries, contributing to peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region and the world.
The two countries maintain regular contacts and exchanges at all levels. (Source: VNA)
The two countries maintain regular contacts and exchanges at all levels. The most recent highlights include: Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's official visit to Japan (November 2021), attending the expanded G7 Summit and working in Japan (May 2023).
Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang attended the 28th Future of Asia Conference and paid a working visit to Japan (May 2023).
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attends the Summit to celebrate the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-Japan relations and conducts bilateral activities in Japan (December 2023).
General Secretary and President To Lam held a high-level online meeting with Chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party and Prime Minister of Japan Kishida Fumio (September 3, 2024).
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on the occasion of attending the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and related Summits taking place in Vientiane (Laos) (October 11, 2024).
President Luong Cuong met with Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru on the occasion of attending the 2024 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit Week in Lima, Peru (November 2024).
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru on the occasion of attending the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) (November 18, 2024)...
On the Japanese side, there will be official visits to Vietnam by: Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide (October 2020); Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio (April 2022); President of the Japanese House of Councilors Otsuji Hidehisa (September 2023); Crown Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko visiting and attending the 50th Anniversary of the Establishment of Vietnam-Japan Diplomatic Relations (September 2023); Minister of Foreign Affairs Kamikawa Yoko (October 2023).
In addition to high-level delegation exchanges, the two countries are also effectively maintaining dialogue mechanisms, such as: the Vietnam-Japan Cooperation Committee co-chaired by the two Foreign Ministers since 2007; the Vietnam-Japan Strategic Partnership Dialogue on diplomacy, security and defense at the Deputy Foreign Minister level since 2010; the Vietnam-Japan Defense Policy Dialogue at the Deputy Minister level since November 2012; the Security Dialogue at the Deputy Minister level since November 2013; the Joint Committee on Trade, Energy and Industry since 2014; the Agriculture Dialogue at the Ministerial level since 2014; the Vietnam-Japan Maritime Policy Dialogue at the Ministerial level (established since December 2019).
Along with that, the two sides cooperate closely and effectively at international and regional forums, such as the United Nations, ASEAN+ conferences, APEC, ASEM, etc., contributing increasingly positively to peace, stability and development in the Asia-Pacific region, in line with the Vietnamese State's foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralization.
Vietnam-Japan bilateral economic and trade relations are built on the foundation of bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements signed by the two countries, as well as through foreign direct investment (FDI) projects and official development assistance (ODA) capital from Japan in Vietnam.
Japan is currently the largest ODA donor, the second largest labor cooperation partner, the third largest investor, the third largest tourism partner, and the fourth largest trade partner of Vietnam. Bilateral trade turnover in 2022 will reach 47.6 billion USD; in 2023, it will reach 44.98 billion USD; and in the first 10 months of 2024, it will reach 38.1 billion USD.
Regarding foreign direct investment (FDI), as of October 2024, Japan is the third largest foreign direct investor in Vietnam (after Korea and Singapore) with 5,456 valid projects, total registered investment capital of more than 77.37 billion USD.
Japan is also the largest provider of official development assistance (ODA) to Vietnam, with the total loan value as of the end of fiscal year 2020 being 2,812.8 billion yen (equivalent to 27.5 billion USD), accounting for more than 26% of the Government's total foreign loan capital.
Japan's ODA capital contributes significantly to the development of key infrastructure projects, creating positive spillover momentum, promoting sustainable socio-economic development; supporting the transfer of advanced technology and training high-quality human resources for Vietnam.
Notably, Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Ito Naoki said that in November 2024, a signing ceremony took place between the two governments on the provision of information technology (IT) equipment to upgrade the system for the National Population Data Center operated by the Ministry of Public Security.
This project will contribute to strengthening the Vietnamese Government system and is a very meaningful support in the field of digital transformation.
Previously, last September, Typhoon Yagi made landfall in Vietnam and left behind severe damage. In the spirit of mutual assistance, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and international organizations such as the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance on Disasters, Japan has so far provided a total of approximately 2.4 million USD in aid to Vietnam.
November 2024 marks the one-year anniversary of the two countries upgrading their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia and the world.
Assessing the bilateral cooperation situation over the past year, Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Ito Naoki stated that the cooperative relationship between Japan and Vietnam is increasingly deepening in many fields, not only in economics, trade, investment but also in national security, defense and people-to-people exchange.
Ambassador Ito Naoki said that in March 2024, Japan and Vietnam agreed to launch the “Japan-Vietnam Joint Initiative in the New Era.”
The two sides agreed to continue discussions and achieve concrete results in five areas of cooperation: energy, innovation, strengthening the supply chain including supporting industries, developing high-quality human resources and improving the investment environment. In the semiconductor sector, Japanese enterprises are increasingly interested in Vietnam.
Then, in August 2024, Tokuyama established a subsidiary in Vietnam to produce and sell polycrystalline silicon for semiconductors. This project was selected by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry as a Global South Co-Creation Project and is receiving support from the Japanese Government.
In addition, in October 2024, the Japanese company Rorze Robotech decided to build a new factory in an industrial park in Hai Phong, expanding its factory manufacturing robots used in semiconductor manufacturing equipment.
Ambassador Ito Naoki said that as Vietnam's consumer market expands along with economic growth, Japan's interest in the retail sector is also increasing. The number of Aeon Mall shopping centers has increased this year; Uniqlo has also become a popular fashion brand in Vietnam...
In the transport sector, the first urban railway project in Ho Chi Minh City will begin operations in December 2024. This project is being implemented in cooperation with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and with the participation of Japanese companies.
In the field of climate change response, according to Ambassador Ito Naoki, Japan is committed to using its technology and finance to support Vietnam in achieving its goal of “net zero emissions” by 2050 by building a cooperation mechanism in many areas such as offshore wind power, solar energy, renewable energy or liquefied natural gas (LNG) to promote the energy transition.
The nuclear energy sector has recently begun to receive renewed attention from Vietnam. Ambassador Ito Naoki said that Japan is ready to cooperate in sharing experience, technology and training human resources for this sector.
In addition to economic and trade cooperation, the two countries also cooperate effectively in many other fields such as culture, education and training, health care, tourism, cooperation between localities, labor, etc. In particular, educational and training cooperation between the two countries has developed in many forms.
Vietnam is the first country in the world to officially introduce Japanese into secondary school teaching since 2003 and primary school since 2019. Japan is one of the largest aid countries for Vietnam's education and training sector through ODA programs. The two sides have signed many cooperation documents in this field.
The number of Vietnamese students studying in Japan is currently over 51,000. Japan has supported the upgrading of four Vietnamese universities to high-quality universities. The two countries cooperated to establish the Vietnam-Japan University in Hoa Lac (Hanoi) in October 2014 to train high-quality human resources for Vietnam in the fields of science and technology, management and services.
On June 1, 2024, the Vietnam Festival in Japan 2024 officially opened at Yoyogi Park, Tokyo. (Photo: Pham Tuan/VNA)
Regarding cultural exchanges, annual festivals such as the Vietnam Festival in Japan, the Japan Festival in Vietnam and the Japan Cherry Blossom Festival in Vietnam... are always welcomed by the people of the two countries.
Regarding labor cooperation, the two sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Japan accepting Vietnamese nurses and caregivers; a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation on the technical intern system (June 2017); and a Memorandum of Understanding on the Specific Skilled Worker system (May 2019). Vietnam is the leading country among 15 countries sending workers to Japan (about 310,000 people).
Local cooperation between the two countries has been strongly promoted. Localities of Vietnam and Japan have signed more than 110 cooperation documents, of which typical pairs include Ho Chi Minh City with Osaka (2007), Nagano (2017); Hanoi with Fukuoka (2008), Tokyo (2013); Da Nang with Sakai (2009), Yokohama (2013); Phu Tho-Nara (2014), Hue-Kyoto (2014); Quang Nam-Nagasaki (2014); Hung Yen-Kanagawa (2015), Hai Phong-Niigata (2015)...
The number of Vietnamese people residing in Japan is currently nearly 600,000. Vietnamese people live, work and study in all 47 provinces and centrally-run cities of Japan, mainly concentrated in Aichi, Tokyo, Osaka, Saitama, Chiba; Kyushu region... This is a solid foundation for Vietnam-Japan relations, contributing to bringing the two peoples closer together.
The relationship between the legislative bodies of the two countries has always been promoted and developed in a more practical and effective manner. The Chairmen of the National Assembly of the two countries have paid much attention to promoting the relationship between the two countries and the two National Assemblies.
The two sides regularly exchange high-level delegations and delegations at all levels to share experiences between specialized committees and parliamentarians, contributing practically to the implementation and promotion of agreements between the two countries, creating a spillover effect and supporting the activities of the Government, promoting people-to-people diplomacy, and ensuring the effectiveness of cooperation programs and projects between Vietnam and Japan.
In addition to high-level delegation exchanges and exchanges between specialized agencies, the Vietnamese National Assembly and the Japanese Parliament also promote parliamentary exchanges within the framework of Friendship Parliamentarians and Young Parliamentarians and Female Parliamentarians in many diverse forms.
The Vietnam-Japan Friendship Parliamentarians' Group together with the Japan-Vietnam Parliamentary Alliance always plays an active role as a bridge, promoting cooperation between the two countries in many fields, exchanges between parliamentarians, and local cooperation in depth and substance.
Within the framework of multilateral parliamentary cooperation such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF), and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), the two sides have similar views on building and maintaining a peaceful and stable environment for development in the Asia-Pacific region, regularly consulting and supporting each other in their views on maritime and aviation security issues in the region.
On the basis of good relations, the official visit to Japan by National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man and his wife this time aims to implement the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralization of foreign relations of the 13th National Party Congress and Resolution No. 34-NQ/TW dated January 9, 2023 of the Politburo on a number of major orientations and policies to implement the foreign policy of the 13th National Party Congress; promote cooperation between the Vietnamese National Assembly and the Japanese Parliament; affirm Vietnam's importance to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia and the world Vietnam-Japan.
The visit is an opportunity for the high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese National Assembly and the Japanese Parliament to discuss international and regional issues of mutual concern.
According to Le Thu Ha, Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs Committee, during his visit to Japan, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man is expected to have many activities such as holding talks and meetings with Japanese leaders; meeting with officials of the Vietnamese Embassy in Tokyo, the Vietnamese Consulate General in Fukuoka and representatives of the Vietnamese community in Japan, etc.
Notably, during this visit, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man and Senate Chairman Sekiguchi Masakazu will sign a cooperation agreement between the Vietnamese National Assembly and the Japanese Senate.
This is a very important premise, contributing to enhancing the effectiveness of cooperation activities between the legislative bodies of the two countries, creating favorable conditions for the two sides to carry out bilateral cooperation activities as well as at multilateral forums, contributing to promoting the relationship of "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World," in accordance with the interests of the people of the two countries.
In addition, Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee Le Thu Ha believes that the visit of National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man will not only contribute to promoting bilateral diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan but also strengthen connections and promote substantive cooperation between Vietnamese localities and Japanese localities, bringing specific benefits to the people and business communities of the two countries./.
(Vietnam+)
Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/nang-tam-hop-tac-nghi-vien-viet-nam-nhat-ban-post998598.vnp
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