VN-Japan relations witness breakthrough progress

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The two nations’ high-ranking leaders have maintained regular visits and meetings at international and regional forums.

In 2002, leaders of the two countries agreed to promote Vietnam – Japan relations in accordance with guideline “ensuring partnership, long stability” on the occasion of Japanese PM Koizumi’s visit to Viet Nam.

In 2004, during the visit to Viet Nam of the Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs, two sides signed a Joint Statement “Toward a Higher Sphere of Enduring Partnership".

In October 2006 the leaders of the two countries issued a “Japan-Viet Nam Joint Statement Toward a Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia,” and in 2007, the joint declaration to deepen the Viet Nam-Japan relationship was issued.

In 2009, the two nations inked a Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia, marking that Japan, the first nation in the G7, established Strategic Partnership with Viet Nam.

In 2011, the PMs of Viet Nam and Japan have signed a joint statement on the plan of action within the framework of the Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia between the two countries.

In 2014, Vietnamese State President Truong Tan Sang and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe signed a Joint Declaration to upgrade the Viet Nam-Japan relations to an Extensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia.

In September 2015, Vietnam and Japan issued a statement on a joint vision for their relations on the occasion of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s visit to Japan.

Top economic partner

Japan is the fourth largest trade partner of Viet Nam with the two-way trade turnover hitting US$28 billion in 2015 and US$6.4 billion in the first quarter of 2016.

As of April 20, 2016, Japan ranked second among 114 nations and territories investing Viet Nam with a total registered capital of US$39 billion in 300 projects.

Japan is the largest Official Development Assistance (ODA) provider for Viet Nam, making up 30% of the total ODA commitments from the international donors.

The G7 nation supplied US$27 billion in ODA for Viet Nam in the phase from 1992 to 2014 and committed to providing US$2.5 billion for Viet Nam in the fiscal year 2015, the highest figure ever recoded.  

Projects funded by Japan have made great contribution to Viet Nam’s socio-economic development, especially the second terminal of Noi Bai International Airport, Nhat Tan Bridge and Vo Nguyen Giap Street connecting the bridge and the airport.

The two nations enhanced cooperation in education and training over recent years. As many as 45,000 Vietnamese laborers are working in Japan. A Memorandum of Understanding on sending Vietnamese nurses and caregivers to Japan was signed. Viet Nam-Japan University was established in July 2014 in Ha Noi.

A total number of 23 pairs of localities from the two nations inked cooperative documents.