The visit takes place when the Vietnam – Japan Extensive Strategic Partnership is developing vigorously, comprehensively, and practically. After 44 years of diplomatic relations, Japan has become one of Vietnam’s most important economic partners. The two countries elevated ties to Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia in 2009 and further upgraded the ties to Extensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia in 2014.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (L) and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Photo: congly.vn
The two countries are enjoying the best period in their history with high trust. Leaders of the two countries exchange visits and meet each other at regional and international forums regularly. Since 1994, Japanese Prime Ministers have visited Vietnam eight times. Japanese Prince officially visited Vietnam in June 1999 and privately visited the country in August 2012. Japanese Crown Prince officially visited Vietnam in February 2009. Vietnamese leaders have also visited Japan many times. Most recently, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong visited Japan in September 2015. During this visit, the two countries signed the “Joint Vision Statement on Japan – Vietnam Relations.” Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited Japan and attended the Outreach Meeting of the G7 Ise-Shima Summit in May 2016. The invitation to the summit of Japan and G7 countries to Vietnam shows the trust of the international community in Vietnam, and it also means that Vietnam’s prestige and international role are increasing.
Japan is one of Vietnam’s most important economic partners and the first G7 country that recognized Vietnam’s market economy in October 2011. So far, Japan has ranked the first official development aid (ODA) provider for Vietnam, the second investor, and Vietnam’s fourth trade partner.
By November 2016, the two countries’ turnover had reached USD 26.8 billion. Japan, within the Vietnam-Japan cooperation framework to 2020 and vision to 2030, is actively assisting Vietnam to develop its industry in the framework of Vietnam’s Industrialization Strategy. Japan had had 3,242 active FDI projects in Vietnam with the total registered investment capital of USD 42.016 billion.
Japan’s ODA for Vietnam accounted for approximately 30% of total ODA that the international community pledged for Vietnam. From 1992 to the end of fiscal year 2015, Japan had pledged about USD 29.5 billion (current exchange rate) for Vietnam, especially the highest-ever USD 2.5 billion ODA commitment for Vietnam in fiscal year 2015 alone.
Despite complicated world situation, Vietnam – Japan friendship has always been nurtured by peoples of the two countries. Right after the earthquake and tsunami disaster in Japan in 2011, the Vietnamese people were side by side with the Japanese people to overcome the disaster, recovering and developing the economy. The Vietnamese people want to cooperate with their Japanese friends to contribute more actively to the international common efforts to deal with global challenges.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to Vietnam this time means that the Vietnam – Japan Extensive Strategic Partnership continues to be consolidated and developing vigorously, comprehensively, and practically. The visit also reaffirmed Prime Minister’s enthusiasm to promote Vietnam – Japan friendship. During his terms, the Prime Minister has met with Vietnamese senior leaders four times and visited Vietnam twice. In his first visit to Vietnam in 2006, Prime Minister Abe established a framework “toward building a strategic partnership” with Vietnam, creating a premise for the two countries to sign the Joint Statement on elevating ties between the two countries to an Extensive Strategic Partnership in 2014. In his second visit to Vietnam in January 2013, Prime Minister Abe chose Vietnam to be the first country he visited after he was voted Prime Minister for the second term.
Tens of leaders of leading Japanese companies, operating in different sectors of trade, infrastructure investment, education etc., and leaders of Japanese localities, accompany Prime Minister Abe during this visit to seek investment opportunities in Vietnam. The Japanese Prime Minister and his entourage will discuss with his Vietnamese counterparts to understand more about each other to bolster their relations.
Obviously, Prime Minister Abe’s visit to Vietnam this time shows his special attention to the two countries’ Extensive Strategic Partnership; reaffirms that Vietnam is Japan’s important and long-term partner, expects to continue to promote political trust and cooperation with Vietnam in various fields.
Over the last 40 years, despite domestic and international ups and downs, the relations between Vietnam and Japan have flourished, contributing to peace, regional stability, and development of the two countries. Prime Minister Abe’s visit to Vietnam this time surely will continue promoting those successes.
Translated by Ngoc Hung