Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife paid an official working visit to Vietnam in mid-January 2013. This was his first foreign visit after he took office as the Prime Minister for the second term and was his second visit as the Prime Minister of Japan to Vietnam, with the first time in November 2006 in his first tenure. This confirmed the Vietnam – Japan strategic partnership and promoted the bilateral cooperation in politics, security, defence, economic, trade and investment.
Vietnam – Japan relations were said to start in the 16th century when Japanese merchants arrived in Vietnam. Vietnam officially established diplomatic relations with Japan on September 21, 1973. The bilateral ties have rapidly developed in various fields. In addition to the relations framework at the macro level, the mutual understanding between the two countries is constantly enhanced, with more and more effective cooperation.
In 2002, high-ranking leaders of the two countries unanimously agreed on building the Vietnam – Japan relationship on the basis of “reliable, stable and long-term partnership”. The reality has proved that relationship. Japan has supported Vietnam to integrate into the region and the world through international organisations such as APEC, WTO, ASEM and ARF and persuaded OECD to provide technical assistance for Vietnam. Despite being hit by the world economic crisis, the Government of Japan still gave handsome official development assistance (ODA) to Vietnam. Japan is the largest ODA donor for Vietnam, accounting for about 30 percent of total ODA commitment that the international community pledges for the Southeast Asian nation each year. From 1992 to 2011, Japan pledged to grant nearly US$20 billion of ODA loans to Vietnam. Infrastructure construction, human resource training and State-owned enterprise restructuring were the biggest beneficiaries of Japanese ODA. In addition, Japan’s ODA also helped Vietnam prevent disasters, respond climate change, and build schools, hospitals and social works in far-lying and poor areas. Most recently, in early March 2014, Minister of Planning and Investment Bui Quang Vinh and Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Hiroshi Fukada signed an Exchange of Notes on ODA Loans worth ¥25 billion in the fiscal year 2013 for climate change response programme and economic management support programme.
Japan is one of the most important economic partners of Vietnam. It was the first G7 country to recognise the market economy status of Vietnam in October 2011. The two countries reserved the most favoured nation (MFN) taxes for each other in 1999. On October 1, 2009, the Vietnam-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (VJEPA) officially took effect, marking a new milestone in two-way economic relations. Together with the Japan – ASEAN Comprehensive Partnership Agreement, the VJEPA creates a favourable legal framework for the development of economic and trade relations between the two countries.
These advantages have boosted bilateral investment and trade. Since early 1990, Japan rapidly emerged to be the biggest customer and market of Vietnam. The trade turnover between Japan accounted for 10 percent of Vietnam’s total import – export turnover with the world. In 2013, the two-way trade revenue grossed US$24.3 billion, up 2.4 percent over 2012. Particularly, Vietnam earned US$13.65 billion from exports to Japan, up 4.5 percent year on year. The bilateral trade turnover jumped 15.1 percent in the first two months of 2014.
Currently, Vietnam and Japan are both negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP). The signing of this agreement will open up huge opportunities for businesses in Vietnam because Vietnam goods, especially agricultural products and aquatic products, are popular in Japan. Vietnam is the fifth biggest seafood supplier for the Japanese market. Joining the TPP, the two-way trade turnover will be pushed up to a new level and many businesses will be benefited.
Likewise, investment relations are also particularly successful. Japan is the number one investor in Vietnam. In the past five years, Japan has always been a top foreign investor in Vietnam. As of August 20, 2013, Japan invested US$33.06 billion in 2,029 projects in Vietnam, ranking first among foreign investors in Vietnam by investment value and ranking third in project. Japanese investors also disbursed US$10.8 billion of registered capital, ranking second in this category. The Vietnamese electricity industry has received a lot of supports with many power transmission and distribution projects. So far, 12 power projects have been funded by Japanese ODA with a total value of over ¥400 billion, or about US$5 billion.
In addition to the economic front, Vietnam and Japan have also achieved remarkable success in other cooperation fields. For example, education, training and labour cooperation are typical examples. In recent years, Japan is one of the biggest non-refundable aid providers for Vietnam’s education and training sector. Japan is a potential market for Vietnamese labourers. From 1992 to late 2008, Vietnam sent 31,000 trainees and apprentices to Japan to learn and practice in such fields as electronics, mechanical processing, garment, seafood processing and agricultural product processing. Japan has also helped Vietnam preserve, research and embellish ancient buildings across the country as well as Thang Long Royal Citadel.
In recent years, localities between the two countries also expanded and enriched their relation. Many collaborative projects at local levels are very effective. For instance, Osaka assisted Ho Chi Minh City to pilot clean water and environment projects. Fukuoka Prefecture helped Hanoi to treat solid wastes that contaminate water resources. Kitakyushu City supported Hai Phong City in urban planning and seaport development cooperation.
Le Minh
Đăng ký: VietNam News
