Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended the Vietnam-Japan Economic Forum and witnessed the signing of 30 cooperation agreements.

On the morning of December 16, in Tokyo, Japan, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended the Vietnam - Japan economic forum with the theme "Economic relations in the new era - Comprehensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia and the world".

Thủ tướng Phạm Minh Chính dự Diễn đàn Doanh nghiệp Việt-Nhật, chứng kiến ký kết 30 thỏa thuận hợp tác

Leaders of major Japanese economic groups welcomed Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to attend the Vietnam-Japan Economic Forum. (Photo: Nhat Bac)

Continuing the series of activities to attend the Summit to celebrate the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-Japan relations and conduct bilateral activities in Japan, on the morning of December 16, in Tokyo, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended the Vietnam-Japan Economic Forum with the theme "Economic Relations in the New Era - Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World ."

At the forum with over 600 delegates attending, leaders of Japanese ministries, organizations and enterprises highly appreciated Vietnam's high growth rate with appropriate policies, large market and excellent human resources. Japanese enterprises said that with the perspective of Future Economic and Social Co-creation Partnership, Japan will focus on cooperation and investment in Vietnam in various fields, especially future industry, carbon emission reduction... At the Forum, representatives of Japanese enterprises also presented to the Prime Minister the orientations and proposals for cooperation and investment in Green Development and Digital Transformation in Vietnam in the coming time.

Speaking at the forum, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said that in 2023, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations, nearly 500 meaningful activities were held in both Vietnam and Japan, contributing to strengthening cooperative relations and deepening friendship and understanding between the people of the two countries.

In particular, President Vo Van Thuong has just successfully concluded his official visit to Japan, together with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, announcing the upgrading of the two countries' relationship to "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World," opening a new page in the history of the Vietnam-Japan friendly cooperation relationship to develop strongly and effectively in all fields and expand cooperation to new fields.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the Vietnam-Japan Economic Forum. (Photo: Duong Giang/VNA)

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh assessed that after 50 years of nurturing and building, the Vietnam-Japan friendship and cooperation, and political trust between the two countries are at a very high level. Japan is currently Vietnam's leading economic partner, second in terms of labor cooperation, third in terms of investment and tourism cooperation, and fourth in terms of trade cooperation. The two economies are complementary and help each other develop together.

Regarding investment, with over 5,200 projects and over 71.5 billion USD in registered capital, Japanese investors are present in most localities of Vietnam, participating in many strategic projects in a number of key areas such as production, processing and manufacturing industry; electronic components; research and development; finance; especially in new areas such as biotechnology; quantum technology; artificial intelligence (AI); new generation healthcare.

In terms of trade, bilateral trade turnover reached more than 40 billion USD in the first 11 months of 2023, of which Vietnam's imports from Japan reached nearly 20 billion USD. Japan is the partner that has signed the most bilateral and multilateral FTAs with Vietnam, creating an important foundation to promote trade and investment relations between the two countries in the spirit of mutual benefit and mutual support.

In particular, there are over 500,000 Vietnamese people living, studying and working in Japan and 22,000 Japanese people working, living and studying in Vietnam.

Regarding the fundamental factors promoting Vietnam's development, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said that Vietnam is currently continuing to promote development based on three pillars: building a socialist rule-of-law state, building socialist democracy, and building a socialist-oriented market economy; three strategic breakthroughs: perfecting institutions, developing high-quality human resources, and building a synchronous and modern infrastructure, including social infrastructure, health care, education, culture, etc.

Vietnam is striving to build an independent, self-reliant economy associated with proactive, active international integration; identifying people as the center, the subject, the goal, the driving force, the source of development; not sacrificing progress and fairness, social security and the environment to pursue pure economic growth; with the strategic development goal of becoming a developing country with an upper middle income by 2030 and a developed country with a high income by 2045. Of these, internal strength is fundamental, strategic, decisive, long-term, external strength is important, and breakthrough.

Vietnam continues to firmly ensure national defense and security, maintain independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity; persist in the "four no's" defense policy; implement a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, diversification and multilateralization; be a friend, a reliable partner, an active and responsible member of the international community; develop an advanced culture, imbued with national identity, in the direction of "national, scientific, popular", culture is the spiritual foundation of society, if culture exists, the nation exists, culture lights the way for the nation to go.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh witnessed the exchange of cooperation documents between Vietnamese and Japanese enterprises. (Photo: Duong Giang/VNA)

According to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Vietnam aims to selectively attract investment, creating widespread connections between the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) sector and the domestic economic sector; strongly promoting the development of the Digital Economy, Green Economy, Circular Economy, and Knowledge Economy.

Specifically, prioritize projects such as high technology, electronics, semiconductors, innovation, renewable energy, new energy (hydrogen), international financial centers, modern trade and services, infrastructure construction, research and development... to create momentum to help restructure the economy and innovate the growth model.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said that after nearly four decades of innovation, openness and integration, Vietnam has achieved important and historic achievements. The size of the economy has reached 409 billion USD; per capita income is over 4,100 USD (2022).

At the Forum, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and leaders of ministries, branches and localities of Vietnam and Japan witnessed the signing ceremony of 30 cooperation agreements between ministries, branches, localities, agencies and enterprises of the two countries in the fields of infrastructure development of industrial parks, urban areas, trade centers, green hydrogen production, battery production, energy, finance, digital transformation, human resource training... such as investment in the Thai Binh Power Project worth nearly 2 billion USD; cooperation agreements between Sungroup Corporation and Japanese partners to invest in construction in Van Phong Economic Zone, Khanh Hoa; Cooperation agreement between FPT Corporation and Japanese partners on Digital Transformation, human resource training, improving transportation and logistics capacity; Agreement between Vietinbank and partners on credit for small and medium enterprises to implement Green Transformation, Digital Transformation, and innovation.

Among the 40 largest economies in the world, ranked 32nd in the top 100 strongest national brand values in the world; top 20 countries leading in trade turnover (reaching 732.5 billion USD in 2022); signed 16 Free Trade Agreements, including many new generation free trade agreements, with over 60 countries and territories, including the largest markets in the world and increasingly diversifying markets, products, and supply chains.

Vietnam has established Strategic Partnership and Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.

In 2023, Vietnam's economy continues to achieve encouraging results; the socio-economic situation continues to have many bright spots in all fields with the results of "better month after month, better quarter after quarter." The macro economy is basically stable, inflation is controlled, growth is promoted, major balances of the economy are ensured. The material and spiritual life of the people is improved.

In the coming time, Vietnam will continue to restructure its economy towards rapid and sustainable development; focusing on developing emerging fields and world trends such as innovation, digital transformation, green economy, circular economy, and sharing economy. In the process, it will continue to maintain political stability, social order and safety, and develop socio-economic infrastructure, etc.

The Vietnam-Japan Economic Forum attracted over 600 delegates, including many large Japanese enterprises. (Photo: Duc Khai)

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stated that the upgrading of Vietnam and Japan to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is an important political foundation to continue expanding cooperation space in new areas where both sides have strengths.

Vietnam needs Japan to continue to cooperate and support in industrialization and modernization of the country; provide financial support with preferential interest rates; support in the transfer of advanced technology and modern management; and contribute ideas to build and perfect institutions, mechanisms and policies.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also proposed that Japan support Vietnam in training high-quality human resources and that Vietnam will provide human resources to its partners. Along with that, cooperation between localities will be promoted; people-to-people exchange and cultural cooperation will be promoted.

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