Last updated: 16:50 - October 17, 2006
Japan, Vietnam strive for sustainable partnership http://www.nhandan.com.vn/english/news/171006/domestic_ja.htm
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung's official visit to Japan from October 18-22 at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is aimed at further boosting bilateral co-operation.
This is the first visit to Japan by PM Dung since he assumed office in July 2006, which will take place in the context that Vietnam-Japan relations are seeing development in all areas. He will also be the first foreign guest of the new Japanese PM.
Vietnam and Japan established diplomatic ties on Sept. 21, 1973. After 1975, the relationship has gradually been expanded. Since 1992, the two countries' ties saw substantial development in many fields, thus helping raise mutual understanding and trust. The two countries have created a dialogue mechanism at various levels and annually held high-level meetings.
Japan is Vietnam's most important trade partner. Two-way trade value increased rapidly in 2000-2005 with an annual growth rate averaging 14.2%. Their bilateral trade in 2005 was estimated at US $8.2 billion.
According to the Vietnamese trade mission in Japan, in the first nine months of this year, Vietnam-Japan trade stood at US $7.2 billion, a year-on-year rise of 23.5%, including US $4.1 billion worth of Vietnamese exports, a 27.2% increase.
Vietnam mainly sells aquatic products, garments and textiles, crude oil, electric cable, and woode products to Japan and imports Japan's engineering products, steel, electronic products, motorbikes, materials for the textile industry and leather.
The two countries' trade is expected to reach US $10 billion this year, an increase of 19.7% over last year.
By the end of August, Japan had 677 valid investment projects in Vietnam with a total registered capital of US $6.8 billion. Though only the third largest foreign investor in Vietnam, after Singapore and Taiwan, Japan is taking the lead in terms of capital disbursement, with nearly US $4.7 billion implemented.
A major share of Japanese investment in Vietnam is in industry, with 85% of total registered capital. The remainder is in agriculture, forestry, fisheries and services.
Japan has become the largest official development assistance (ODA) donor to Vietnam, pledging a total of US $11 billion in the 1992-2005 period, representing about 30% of the total ODA committed by the international community to Vietnam. Of the figure, US $1.4 billion was non-refundable aid.
Japan's long-term aid programme to Vietnam focuses on development of human resources and institution, construction and improvement of transport and power network, development of agriculture and rural infrastructure, education and health care and environmental protection.
Japan is a potential market for Vietnam's labour export. Since 1992, Vietnam has sent about 18,000 trainees to Japan, including 3,500 labourers in 2005 only. In 2004, Vietnam established an office for labour management at its embassy in Tokyo.
Culture-information exchange is an important part in bilateral ties. Japanese experts regularly come to Vietnam to help in preserving and restoring ancient houses. Vietnam also sent delegations to Japan to organise art performances, exhibitions, films and festivals to introduce the Vietnamese land and people to Japan.
The two countries have also boosted their co-operation in education and training at various levels. Japan, in recent years, is one of the biggest donors to Vietnam's education and training sector.
Regarding tourism, Japan is now ranking among the top five markets of Vietnam's tourism industry, with Japanese tourists making up representing 10% of the total number of foreign visitors to the country. The two countries signed a joint statement on bilateral tourism co-operation with the aim of attracting more Japanese tourists to Vietnam. Last year, Vietnam welcomed 320,000 Japanese visitors, up 20% year-on-year.
The two countries also paid attention to co-operation in intellectual property right protection, energy, science and technology, particularly information technology. (VNA)
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