Japanese Prime Minister, Ms. Takaichi Sanae, will pay an
official visit to Vietnam from May 1-3, at the invitation of her Vietnamese
counterpart Le Minh Hung, according to an announcement released on April 28 by the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
This will be Ms. Takaichi Sanae’s first visit to Vietnam in
her capacity as the Japanese Prime Minister.
Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Ito Naoki was quoted by
Vietnam’s Government News as stating at a press meeting in Hanoi on April 28
that the visit reflects the fact that Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae personally
and her Government attach importance to the relations between Vietnam and
Japan.
It also demonstrates their recognition and high regard for
Vietnam’s role on the international stage, the ambassador said.
He noted that the visit aims to strengthen and build trust
between the leaders of the two countries. Both sides will discuss key areas of
cooperation in the coming period, such as the economy, energy, and
people-to-people exchanges.
Vietnam and Japan established diplomatic relations in 1973
and upgraded their ties into a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2023.
Japan is Vietnam’s largest provider of ODA, biggest labor cooperation partner,
third-largest investor, and fourth-largest partner in tourism and trade.
Bilateral trade value reached over $51.43 billion last year.
The Japanese Embassy in Vietnam reported that in the first quarter of this
year, the figure increased by 12.7 percent compared to the same period last year,
with expectations reaching $60 billion by 2027.
As of January 31, 2026, Japan had 5,722 valid investment
projects in Vietnam with a total registered capital of $78.9 billion, ranking
third among 153 countries and territories investing in the latter.
In the semiconductor sector, Vietnam aims to train 500 PhD
researchers by 2030, and Japan has announced it will accept about half of them
through international joint research programs.
There are more than 680,000 Vietnamese people living in
Japan, making them the second-largest foreign community in the country.
AloJapan.com