Viet Nam-Japan Economic Forum held in the presence of Prime Minister Chinh

December 2023

On December 16, JETRO held the “Viet Nam-Japan Economic Forum - Japan-Viet Nam Relations to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World” at a hotel in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo. The forum was jointly hosted by Vietnam’s Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) and the Embassy of Vietnam in Tokyo in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Vietnam as well as the upgrading of the two countries’ relations to a “comprehensive and strategic partnership.”

In his opening remarks as a distinguished guest speaker, Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Saito stated that Vietnam is a trustworthy, comprehensive and strategic partner for Japan, and announced Japan’s policy to contribute to helping Vietnam become a developed country by 2045 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 through cooperation in the following three categories: (1) the creation of future industries, (2) the promotion of decarbonization and (3) the cultivation of human resources.

Chairman Ishiguro, on behalf of the organizer, then explained the extent to which Japan-Vietnam economic relations have developed, mentioning that Japan's trade with Vietnam has almost doubled in the past 10 years, and that according to JETRO surveys, Vietnam ranked second for six consecutive years as a “country to expand business overseas.” He added, “JETRO will contribute to the further development of economic relations between the two countries, such as through matching Japanese and Vietnamese companies not only in trade and investment, but also in the fields of startups and DX.”

Chief Representative Nakajima Takeo of JETRO Hanoi presented on the “Business Potential of Japan-Vietnam Cooperation in the DX and GX Fields.” His presentation highlighted some cases of Japanese companies aiming to solve social problems by making full use of digital technology in a variety of fields such as medical and healthcare field, agriculture, education, technical assistance for infrastructure, energy and green projects by taking advantage of JETRO support such as the "Asia Digital Transformation (ADX) Project." He said, "The new era of Japan-Vietnam cooperation will be born in these DX and GX areas where Japanese companies excel.”

Two Japanese companies operating in Vietnam made presentations under the theme "New Trends in Investment in Vietnam by Japanese and Vietnamese High-Profile Companies - Towards Adding High Value to Business." JERA (Tokyo), a power generation company, presented on its endeavors to introduce renewable energy and ensure a stable power supply in Vietnam in order to help the country achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. In addition, Yamamoto Metal Technos Co., Ltd. (Osaka), which is engaged in metal parts cutting and processing, presented its efforts to improve productivity through use of AI systems, IoT, DX and other technologies within supporting industries of Vietnam.

In his keynote speech, Prime Minister Chinh stressed his country’s strength and expressed his hope by saying, “Vietnam's advantage is that there is less investment risk than other countries. We hope that Japan will continue to increase investment in fields such as DX and GX while also contributing to the cultivation of Vietnam's human resources.”

After the presentations, a ceremony to introduce the 30 investment projects between the two countries was held in the presence of officials from the Vietnamese and Japanese governments, including Prime Minister Chinh. JETRO will continue devoting efforts to strengthen economic ties, including investment expansion, between Japan and the rest of the world by seizing such opportunities of foreign dignitaries’ visits to Japan.

* For details on this forum, please visit the page below. (Japanese)