Foreign investments, including those made by Japanese firms, are an important driving force for Vietnam’s socio-economic development and improvement of the national competitive capacity, said President Tran Dai Quang.

President Tran Dai Quang in a dialogue with Japanese large corporations in Tokyo on May 30

In a dialogue with leaders of Japanese large corporations in Tokyo on May 30, President Quang noted that Vietnam always welcomes Japanese investment in the fields of Vietnam’s interest and Japan’s strengths like infrastructure construction, support industry, high-tech agriculture, energy, environment, finance, banking, and the equitisation process of state-owned firms.

The Vietnamese state commits to creating favourable conditions for Japanese groups to invest and operate effective, stable and long-term business in Vietnam, he underlined.

The President informed the Japanese businesses that Vietnam is striving to maintain an annual GDP growth of 6.5-7 percent during 2016-2020 along with macro-economic stability while working to promote sustainable development coupled with environmental protection.

The moves will help Vietnam maintain its position as a dynamic nation and attractive destination for investment in the ASEAN bloc.

He stressed that the Vietnam-Japan Joint Initiative is an important channel to help Vietnam complete its policies and regulations, improve investment climate and attract high-quality foreign investments to Vietnam, particularly those from Japan. 

Chairman of the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) Sadayuki Sakakibara and Chairman of the Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation Yoshimitsu Kobayashi expressed their delights to welcome President Quang on his first state visit to Japan. 

Speaking highly of Vietnam’s significant roles in the development of Japanese firms, they believed that the fruitful political relations will bolster bilateral trade and investment.

Japanese corporations lauded Vietnam’s participation in various economic deals like Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

Vietnam treasures ties with Japan: President

President Tran Dai Quang meets with Japanese Emperor Akihito on May 30

The Vietnamese Government and people always attach much importance to the relations with Japan, President Tran Dai Quang said during a meeting with the Japanese Emperor and Empress in Tokyo on May 30.

President Quang hoped that his State visit to Japan will open up new development phase in the Vietnam-Japan ties towards a more intensive and effective manner, bringing practical benefits to people of both sides and for regional and global peace, stability, cooperation and development.

The State leader and his spouse expressed their impression on the visit to Vietnam made by the Japanese royal couple in 2017, adding that their visit has deepened mutual trust and understanding between the two countries’ people, contributing to elevating the bilateral ties to a new height.

On the occasion, they invited members of the Japanese Imperial Family to visit Vietnam in a proper time.

For their parts, the Japanese royal couple thanked President Quang and his spouse for giving them warm welcome during their visit to Vietnam last year. They affirmed that they treasure the Vietnam-Japan cooperation and friendship and will do their utmost to further develop the ties. 

Japanese Emperor Akihito underlined that cultural and people-to-people exchanges, particularly during the year the two countries are celebrating the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations, are very important for the development of the bilateral ties as they serve as a boost to mutual trust and understanding.

On May 30 night, President Quang and his spouse were scheduled to attend a national banquet hosted by the Emperor and Empress at the Imperial Palace.

In the morning, the Japanese royal couple hosted an official welcome ceremony for President Quang and his spouse. President Quang is the first foreign State leader to pay a State visit to Japan this year.

President meets Speaker of Japan’s House of Councillors

President Tran Dai Quang (left) shakes hands with Chuichi Date, Speaker of House of Councillors of the Japanese National Diet during their meeting in Tokyo on May 30. 

President Tran Dai Quang had a meeting with Chuichi Date, Speaker of House of Councillors of the Japanese National Diet in Tokyo on May 30 during which the two sides said they are pleased with strong growth of the Vietnam-Japan ties.

Speaking at the meeting, Chuichi Date expressed his pleasure to welcome President Tran Dai Quang and the high-level Vietnamese delegation to Japan when the two countries are celebrating the 45th anniversary of their diplomatic ties. He thanked President Quang, his spouse and Vietnamese people for their warm reception for Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko when they visited Vietnam in early 2017. 

He also said he is pleased to see the strong, comprehensive and practical development of the Vietnam-Japan extensive strategic partnership with a number of high-level visits and people-to-people exchanges in recent years.

President Quang, for his part, also expressed his delight at the robust and substantive growth of the bilateral relations over the past 45 years, especially since the two countries upgraded their ties to the Extensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia in 2014.

Vietnam always sees Japan as a top and long-term partner, he emphasised.

The Vietnamese State leader proposed the two nations to step up cooperation between their legislative bodies with enhanced exchanges of information and experience in law making. He also asked his host to support the promotion of Japanese trade and investment activities in Vietnam and the continued ODA provision for the Southeast Asian nation’s key projects, particularly in high-quality human resources training and climate change adaption. 

Furthermore, he wanted the two sides to continue strengthening cooperation in labour affairs, expanding people-to-people exchanges and creating conditions for their people to live, study and work in each country.

He moved on to ask the National Diet of Japan to strongly back ASEAN’s stance on the East Sea issue and help Vietnam improve the capacity of marine law enforcement forces.

Speaker Chuichi Date highly spoke of Vietnam’s success in hosting the 26th Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF-26) and suggested the two sides further bolster ties at multilateral parliamentary forums and promote exchanges between their parliamentary agencies, particularly between young parliamentarians in the time ahead.

He affirmed Japan will continue partnering with and assisting Vietnam in the socio-economic development, contributing to taking the bilateral extensive strategic partnership to a new height for the benefit of the two countries’ people.

President Tran Dai Quang and his spouse are on a State visit to Japan from May 29 to June 2. The visit aims to affirm Vietnam’s consistent external policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification in international relations, as well as the importance that the country attaches to strengthening the extensive strategic partnership with Japan.

The visit also seeks to bolster the close relationship and political trust between senior leaders of Vietnam and Japan, contributing to strengthening the bilateral extensive strategic partnership.

Vietnam and Japan set up their diplomatic ties in September 1973. Over the past years, the two countries have become important partners of each other in many fields. Since Vietnam and Japan lift their relationship to Extensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia in March 2014, the two sides have enjoyed strong, comprehensive and practical progress in bilateral ties.

Japanese media highlight Vietnamese President’s visit

President Tran Dai Quang visits Koganei Seiki Co. 

The Japanese media on May 30 gave extensive coverage on the ongoing State-visit to Japan by Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang. 

NHK, Japan’s largest broadcasting organisation, said during his first-ever visit to Japan as a national guest from May 29 to June 2, President Quang toured Gunma prefecture and hosted a reception for Gunma’s Governor Masaaki Osawa. 

Gunma prefecture has maintained close cooperative ties with Vietnamese localities. The partnerships between Gunma and Vietnamese localities will significantly contribute to exchanges between the two countries, NHK quoted President Quang as saying. 

Osawa, who visited Vietnam in 2016 and 2017, expressed his honour to welcome the Vietnamese leader, stressing that Gunma has actively promoted people-to-people exchanges and economic links with Vietnam, according to NHK. 

Following his meeting with Osawa, President Quang made a field trip to Koganei Seiki Co., where many Vietnamese engineers are working. 

Osawa said Gunma will continue cooperation with Vietnam in the time to come to ensure human resources for the prefecture, NHK said. 

According to Tokyo Shimbun, more than 7,000 Vietnamese had lived and worked in Gunma by February 2017. Thirty nine out of 240 engineers working in the Koganei Seiki Co. are Vietnamese. 

It cited Osawa as saying that Vietnam is a friendly and hospitable country and he wishes that the fruitful relationship between Gunma prefecture and Vietnam will be deepened. 

Jomo Shimbun also said President Quang and Gunma’s Governor Osawa agreed to consolidate partnerships between Vietnamese localities and the Japanese prefecture, especially their economic links.

President Quang hoped for enhanced collaboration with the locality in agriculture, high-tech and infrastructure construction which are of Gunma’s strength, the newspaper said. 

Both shared the same view on the significance of intensifying connections  between Japanese businesses and universities in Vietnam to ensure the supply of human resources for the firms, according to the newspaper. 

It said with high demand for young and low-cost human resources, many Gunma businesses have invested in Vietnam. As of March 2018, 66 firms from Gunma have operated in Vietnam, up from 27 enterprises recorded five years ago.

VNA