Japan wants to accompany Vietnam in the "era of rising up"

Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Ito Naoki speaks at a press conference on November 26 (Photo: Thanh Dat).

“Vietnam is stepping into a new era and Japan wishes to accompany and actively support Vietnam in that process,” Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Ito Naoki said at a press conference on November 26, on the occasion of the first anniversary of Vietnam and Japan becoming “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World.”

Ambassador Ito Naoki said that within the framework of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the partnership between Japan and Vietnam is growing deeper and wider, and under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam led by General Secretary To Lam, the new era - the era of Vietnam's rise - will be a great opportunity to further develop the friendly cooperative relationship between the two countries.

“General Secretary To Lam said that Vietnam will continue to make more active, proactive and responsible contributions to the international community. We believe that such a positive diplomatic stance of Vietnam will further deepen the cooperative relationship with Japan in multilateral forums such as the United Nations and ASEAN,” Ambassador Ito Naoki emphasized.

Next year, Japan and Vietnam will co-chair the Mekong-Japan cooperation framework. Ambassador Ito Naoki hopes that Vietnam's active role and Japan's cooperation in the Mekong region will bring about many good results.

Referring to three strategic infrastructures including transportation and urban railways, energy and digital, Ambassador Ito Naoki said that cooperation between Japan and Vietnam is making steady progress in each of these areas. These are areas in which Japan will continue to make further efforts in the coming time for the growth and development of Vietnam.

“Japan will continue to cooperate with Vietnam in economic development and industrialization, contributing to helping Vietnam achieve its national goal of becoming a developed and high-income country by 2045,” Ambassador Ito Naoki affirmed.

According to Ambassador Ito Naoki, over the past year, both countries have had changes in key leaders, but high-level dialogue and exchange activities have continued to concretize the partnership.

“Looking back over the past year, the cooperative relationship between Japan and Vietnam is increasingly deepening in many areas, not only in economics, trade, investment but also in national security, defense and people-to-people exchange,” Ambassador Ito Naoki emphasized.

Strengthening cooperation in all fields

Ambassador Ito Naoki reviewed the achievements that Japan and Vietnam have made in recent times after the two countries upgraded their relations.

In terms of economy and trade , in March, Japan and Vietnam agreed to launch the “Japan-Vietnam Joint Initiative for a 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.

As Vietnam's consumer market expands along with Vietnam's economic growth, Japan's interest in the retail sector is also increasing.

Referring to the latest survey results of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), Ambassador Ito Naoki said that Vietnam is always the second most promising investment destination for Japanese companies.

Trade and investment have been promoted, with trade turnover between the two countries increasing 1.8 times in the past 10 years. With such rapid growth, Ambassador Ito Naoki hopes that Japan and Vietnam can increase trade turnover from 90 billion USD to 100 billion USD. Last year's trade turnover was approximately 45 billion USD, a 1.8-fold increase compared to 10 years ago. If this rate continues, it is possible that in the next 10 years the figure will be 90 billion to 100 billion USD.

In terms of semiconductor technology , Japanese companies are increasingly interested in Vietnam. In August, 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, 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.

In addition, Vietnam-Japan University has just celebrated its 10th anniversary and its first batch of students graduated in July. Vietnam-Japan University is preparing a curriculum to train on semiconductors so that Vietnamese students can study semiconductors at the school in the future.

On the energy front , the licensing of the LNG-fired thermal power plant project in Thai Binh was carried out in March. The Block B gas exploitation project received final investment approval this spring and has begun to make concrete progress.

Regarding transportation , the urban railway line will begin operating in Ho Chi Minh City in December. This project is implemented with the cooperation of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Japan and the participation of Japanese companies. Although it has taken a while to wait, when it comes into operation, this will be an urban transport project symbolizing the cooperation between Vietnam and Japan and significantly changing the lives of Ho Chi Minh City residents.

Regarding maritime security and safety , the Japan Self-Defense Forces have provided the Vietnamese military with anti-corrosion treatment technology and supplied vehicles for transporting materials. In addition, a project to build six patrol boats for the Vietnam Coast Guard is underway.

Regarding climate change , Japan will use its technology and finance to support Vietnam in achieving its goals by building a cooperation mechanism in a wide range of fields such as offshore wind power, solar power, renewable energy or LNG to promote the energy transition.

Last September, Typhoon Yagi made landfall in Vietnam, causing severe damage. To date, through JICA and international organizations such as UNICEF, IOM and the ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance on Disasters, Japan has provided a total of approximately US$2.4 million in aid to Vietnam.

From a medium and long-term perspective, Japan is preparing to implement an ODA loan project to develop infrastructure to cope with natural disasters and climate change in the northern mountainous region. Through this form of aid, Japan hopes to contribute to supporting Vietnam in enhancing its resilience to natural disasters.

Regarding employment , this year, Japan has begun to organize specific skills exams in Vietnam in five areas: nursing care, agriculture, automobile maintenance, accommodation services, and construction. In addition, exams in the fields of catering services and food and beverage production are expected to be held.

The number of Vietnamese technical intern trainees and specified skilled workers accounts for half of the number of foreigners working in Japan. According to Ambassador Ito Naoki, Vietnamese human resources are extremely important and valuable to Japan's economy and society, so Japan wants to ensure that Vietnamese workers can live happier in Japan.

Since the establishment of the new partnership, the number of Vietnamese people residing in Japan has increased steadily and exceeded 600,000 for the first time this year. Japan continues to hold the top position as a favorite destination for Vietnamese people working abroad. To maintain this position, Japan will strive to perfect the mechanism and improve the environment for young Vietnamese people to choose Japan, so that Japan continues to be an attractive labor market for young Vietnamese people.

Dantri.com.vn

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/nhat-ban-muon-dong-hanh-cung-viet-nam-trong-ky-nguyen-vuon-minh-20241127070652166.htm