Vietnam, Japan should shift from cooperation to co-creation: Vietnamese PM

Speaking at the 2026 Vietnam-Japan Local Cooperation Forum in Hue City in central Vietnam on Sunday, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung said Vietnam-Japan relations are entering a new phase, underpinned by strong political trust, increasingly substantive economic ties and closer connections between localities and businesses.

The forum was organized by Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Embassy of Vietnam in Japan in coordination with the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam and the government of Hue City, under the theme “Creating a digital, green and sustainable future: From strategic commitments to concrete action.”

Amid rapid and complex global changes, cooperation between the two countries should go beyond making use of existing advantages and instead focus on creating new drivers of growth, he said.

“Japanese businesses should not view Vietnam merely as a consumer market or production base, but as a hub for manufacturing, innovation, and green and sustainable connectivity serving Japanese localities and the Japanese economy,” the Vietnamese government leader said.

Prime Minister Hung said cooperation between local governments is an important foundation for deepening Vietnam-Japan relations.

While national-level cooperation provides an overall framework and direction, local-level cooperation is where commitments can be translated into specific projects, programs and tangible results, he said.

Vietnam and Japan should position themselves as partners in high-quality growth and strategic self-reliance based on science and technology, innovation and digital transformation, according to the prime minister.

He called for greater cooperation in digital technology, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, smart cities, sustainable agriculture, startup incubators and research and development centers.

Japan can share its experience and help Vietnamese localities and businesses build innovation ecosystems, promote digital transformation in local governments, and strengthen policymaking and governance capacity in emerging strategic fields such as AI, semiconductors, quantum technology and satellites.

Vietnam does not simply want to receive technology from Japan, but aims to conduct joint research, pursue innovation and create high-value products, he said.

He called on the forum in Hue to become a genuine opportunity for the governments and localities of the two countries to listen to businesses and residents, proactively develop incentives, and create a favorable environment for connectivity and investment.

“People must be the primary beneficiaries, with more jobs, higher incomes and better skills,” the prime minister said.

He also asked ministries, agencies, localities and businesses in both countries to turn cooperation priorities into feasible projects with clearly identified partners and measurable outcomes.

If localities and businesses on both sides take the initiative, act together and create new value, they can help deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Japan and elevate bilateral ties to a new level, PM Hung said.

Japan calls for joint efforts toward shared prosperity

Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Ito Naoki delivered a message from Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae to the participants.

Takaichi Sanae said that during her official visit to Vietnam in May, she was deeply impressed by the strong progress in bilateral relations across a wide range of areas, including people-to-people exchanges, economy, security, culture and defense.

Regarding Hue, she noted that the city has established friendship and cooperation ties with several Japanese localities, including Nara Prefecture, her hometown, Kyoto Prefecture and Shizuoka City.

She wrote that Hue was not only the venue for the forum but also the hometown of Vietnam’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung.

“I am delighted by this connection with Minister Le Hoai Trung and warmly welcome the vibrant local-level exchanges currently taking place between our two countries,” the Japanese prime minister wrote.

Takaichi Sanae expressed hope that the vitality and dynamism of Vietnamese localities, combined with the experience and expertise of Japanese local governments in regional development, industrial promotion, tourism and human resources training, would help strengthen the self-reliance and resilience of both countries.

“Let us move forward together to build a future that is stronger and more prosperous for both of us,” she wrote.