Vietnam-Japan, Comprehensive Development of Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia
(BNP) - Since the establishment of diplomatic tied on September 21, 1973, the relationship between Vietnam and Japan has been steadily consolidated and expanded, with ever-increasing cooperative components.
In April 2002, during Prime Minister Koizumi's visit to Vietnam, the two countries established a "long term, stable and reliable partnership".
In April 2009, Vietnam and Japan decided to form a strategic collaboration, which was upgraded to "comprehensive strategic partnership" status in March 2014, making Japan become first member of the G7 to form a strategic cooperation with Vietnam.
Despite several oscillations in the global and regional circumstances, Vietnam-Japan friendship and collaboration have been continually consolidated and expanded in many fields.
In terms of politics, the good relations between Vietnam and Japan have been strengthened through regular high-level visits and exchanges by leaders of the two countries. Currently, the two countries maintain a number of effective dialogue mechanisms, including the Vietnam-Japan Cooperation Committee (since 2007), the Vietnam-Japan Strategic Partnership Dialogue on Diplomacy-Security-Defense (Deputy Foreign Minister level, since 2010), the Vietnam-Japan Defense Policy Dialogue (since November 2012), and the Deputy Ministerial Security Dialogue (since November 2013)...
Japan has now over 5,000 valid projects with a total investment of about USD 70 billion, ranking third among 143 countries and territories conducting investment projects in Vietnam.
Japan is also Vietnam's top Official Development Assistance (ODA) donor with over USD 27 billion in loans, making a significant contribution to the construction of large-scale infrastructure projects as well as the support of technology transfer and human resource training to provide a driving force for Vietnam's long-term socioeconomic development.
Japan is one of Vietnam's top donors to the education and training industry. The most well-known cooperation programs that send Vietnamese trainees to Japan are those with the Japan International Training Cooperation Organization (JITCO) and the Japan Human Resource Development Agency (IM Japan).
Vietnam ranked first in the number of foreign trainees in Japan with more than 200,000 people, and in 2022, Japan is the leading labor market, receiving the most Vietnamese human resources with more than 67,000 people. Vietnam is sending a large number of talented technical employees, information technology engineers, or nurses and aides to work in Japan. Along with labor and training collaboration, cultural exchange programs and people-to-people exchanges have grown in scope, bringing to greater understanding and camaraderie between the two countries.
Along with economic collaboration, cultural cooperation and people-to-people contacts between the two countries have been heavily pushed. Learning and understanding Japanese culture is becoming popular in Vietnam.
Currently, Japan’s cultural items from traditional ones like ikebana flower arrangement, kendo, and origami to contemporary ones like manga comics, anime cartoons, and cosplay, cherry blossom watching, etc., are quite popular among teens in Vietnam. As a result, more and more Japanese visitors who are interested in learning Vietnamese travel to Vietnam.
Vietnam and Japan will celebrate their 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2023. On this occasion, the two nations' senior leaders are committed to maintaining the tight coordination, promoting the dialogue mechanisms, enhancing exchanges and organizing the meaningful activities in the both countries. The Vietnam-Japan connection is an important meaning to each country's growth.
