Vietnam plays crucial role in ASEAN-Japan collaboration: public opinions in Japan

Tokyo, (VNA) – The robust development of Vietnam-Japan cooperation has contributed significantly to promoting partnership between ASEAN and Japan, Japanese scholars and businesspeople said following Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's trip to Japan for the Commemorative Summit for the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation in Tokyo.

At the summit on December 17, PM Chinh called on ASEAN and Japan to strengthen cooperation amidst the global headwinds with various unprecedented challenges to develop their comprehensive strategic partnership into a symbol of international solidarity and cooperation.

Senator Katayama Satsuki from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Japan Katayama highly valued the Vietnamese leader’s message, expressing the hope that the two countries will strengthen their relationship for the benefit of the entire region. She spoke highly of Vietnam's crucial role and believed that this role will continue to be enhanced within ASEAN.     
           
Dr Shoji Tomotaka, Director of the Regional Research Division at the National Institute for Defence Studies under the Japanese Ministry of Defence remarked that the two countries have collaborated extensively within ASEAN, which is an important international framework for Japan.

Within this framework, cooperation between Japan and Vietnam has been conducted smoothly, contributing to the advancement of bilateral relations with mutual respect, he said.

For Japan, strong bilateral cooperation is a crucial factor in making Vietnam a close partner within ASEAN, he said, noting that Japan consistently prioritises cooperation with Vietnam in economic matters, regional security, and various issues such as climate change adaptation and cybersecurity.


Prof. Ito Go from Japan's Meiji University emphasised the importance of promoting relations between Japan and Vietnam within multilateral frameworks. Frameworks such as ASEAN-Japan and ASEAN 3 have contributed to fostering exchanges and cooperation between Japan and Vietnam.
   
Meanwhile, Prof. Dr. Shiraishi Masaya, Emeritus Professor of Waseda University, who is Chairman of the Japanese Association for Vietnamese Studies, commented that as a member of ASEAN, Vietnam is an important partner in Japan's diplomatic relations and the country is playing a role as an increasingly important actor in ASEAN.

Japan and Vietnam are part of the multi-layered concentric circles of multilateral relations in the region, the professor said, noting that as Vietnam’s national strength is increasingly consolidated, the importance of Vietnam to Japan will continue to grow.

President and CEO Executive General Manager of AEON Group Iwamura Yasutsugu said that PM Chinh has delivered a very powerful message, which reflects the close bonds between Japan and Vietnam and shows the role of each country in the development process.

Honna Hitoshi, Representative Director and President of Erex JSC expressed his impression on for PM Chinh’s statement regarding the development of economic activities aligned with the strategy of green growth and carbon reduction.  

Politicians and representatives from businesses viewed economic cooperation as a mainstay of the Vietnam – Japan relations. 
         
Senator Katayama said among ASEAN countries, Vietnam, with its growth potential and abundant labour force, has become a crucial partner of many businesses.

For his part, Chairman of the Vietnam - Japan Friendship Association Nojima Yasuhiro said that Vietnam's economic strength is growing, expressing his belief that Vietnam will have a stronger voice in the future.

According to Iwamura, Vietnam is an important country for his company, adding that the country has stable politics, harmony of national identity and compatibility with AEON's business philosophy.

The Vietnam - Japan Economic Forum on December 16 with the participation of PM Chinh and Vietnamese ministers was a great success with very meaningful exchanges between the two sides, Honna said.

Erex, as well as other Japanese enterprises always highly rate the investment environment in Vietnam and the economic and trade cooperation between the two countries, he said, expressing his belief that comprehensive cooperative relations will continue to develop fruitfully in trust and friendship between the two countries.

Representing Sanshin Saiko Co., Ltd, Umezawa Kiyoshi showed great expectations for the strong development of cooperation between Vietnam and Japan, believing that this will be an important basis for Japanese businesses to decide investment methods and level in a country that has a special partnership with Japan./.