Japanese PM Ishiba to make first official visit to Vietnam this weekend

The visit, Prime Minister Ishiba’s first to Vietnam since taking office in October 2024, comes at the invitation of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his spouse, Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Wednesday.

Earlier the same day, the Prime Minister’s Office of Japan confirmed that Ishiba will undertake a four-day Southeast Asia tour starting April 27, visiting Vietnam and the Philippines, with the majority of his time – three days – dedicated to Vietnam.

At a press briefing with Vietnamese media on Wednesday, Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Ito Naoki said the visit reflects Japan’s desire to deepen relations with Southeast Asia, particularly with Vietnam.

Vietnam, with a market of over 100 million consumers and significant economic growth potential, is a top priority in Japan’s foreign policy, Naoki emphasized.

He underscored that during PM Ishiba’s upcoming visit, Japan aims to advance cooperation in Vietnam’s priority areas, including digital transformation, green transition, semiconductor development, and high-quality human resource training.

Prime Minister Ishiba has previously met with State President Luong Cuong, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man. However, he has not yet met with Party General Secretary To Lam.

This visit, therefore, presents an opportunity to establish and strengthen ties with General Secretary Lam and other senior Vietnamese officials, the ambassador stated.

According to the Japanese Embassy in Hanoi, Japan’s cumulative investment in Vietnam has reached US$77.7 billion, and yearly two-way trade is on track to approach $50 billion – 1.8 times higher than a decade ago.

Last year, the bilateral trade reached $48.18 billion, up $3 billion from 2023, the General Department of Vietnam Customs reported.

Vietnam and Japan established diplomatic ties in September 1973. 

Over the past more than 50 years, their relationship has steadily advanced – from a strategic partnership in 2009, to an extensive strategic partnership in 2014, and most recently, to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2023.

Japan is currently Vietnam’s largest provider of official development assistance, the second-largest partner in labor cooperation, the third-largest investor and tourism partner, and the fourth-largest trading partner, according to the Vietnam Government Portal.