Taking Localities, Enterprises, and Citizens as the Core of Vietnam - Japan Cooperation

Taking Localities, Enterprises, and Citizens as the Core of Vietnam - Japan Cooperation

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung suggested accelerating Vietnam - Japan investment relations by shifting strongly from a relationship between "investors and investment locations" to a co-development and constructive partnership, as well as moving from technology transfer to mutual development.

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung, Member of the Politburo, and delegates at the forum.

On the morning of September 6, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam and the Embassy of Vietnam in Japan, in coordination with the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam and the People's Committee of Hue City, organized the Vietnam - Japan Local Cooperation Forum 2026 in Hue City. Themed "Creating a Digital, Green, and Sustainable Future: From Strategic Commitments to Practical Actions," the forum was chaired by Prime Minister Le Minh Hung, member of the Politburo.

Also in attendance were Le Hoai Trung, Politburo member and Minister of Foreign Affairs, alongside leaders of central ministries and agencies. On the Japanese side, Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Ito Naoki attended the event, together with leaders of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Vietnam, and top Japanese enterprises.

Representing Ha Tinh Province was Phan Thien Dinh, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, accompanied by leaders of several provincial departments, sectors, and local businesses.

Ha Tinh Provincial People's Committee Chairman Phan Thien Dinh and delegates attending the forum.

Delivering the opening remarks at the forum, Comrade Le Hoai Trung, Politburo member and Minister of Foreign Affairs, emphasized that the Vietnam - Japan Local Cooperation Forum 2026 takes place at a significantly meaningful juncture for both nations. This represents the largest local-level international cooperation event organized in Vietnam following the successful conclusion of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

Le Hoai Trung, Member of the Politburo and Minister of Foreign Affairs, opened the forum.

The forum possesses profound topical significance, operationalizing the outcomes of the working session between Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hưng and Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae in May 2026. In this meeting, the leaders of both governments committed to further strengthening human resource connections and people-to-people exchanges through local-level cooperation, labor, healthcare, culture, and tourism.

“The Vietnam - Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is developing strongly and substantively across all fields, built upon a solid foundation of political trust, dynamic economic cooperation, and increasingly close people-to-people ties. Japan is Vietnam’s leading economic partner—ranking first in official development assistance (ODA) and labor cooperation, third in investment, and fourth in trade and tourism. The two countries have agreed on major orientations to bring the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership into a new phase of development, targeting annual Japanese investment into Vietnam at 5 billion USD and two-way trade turnover at 60 billion USD by 2030,” Minister Le Hoai Trung stated at the forum.

This year’s forum is hosted in Hue City, an exemplary locality in cooperation with Japan. Hue received early and critical support from Japan in heritage restoration as well as ODA projects supporting livelihoods. Japan has long been a traditional and key international tourist market for the ancient capital. In recent years, major Japanese corporations have chosen Hue as a destination for investments in green industry, logistics, and services. These results demonstrate that local-level cooperation not only enriches the contents of Vietnam - Japan relations but also contributes to building a firm social foundation for ties between the two nations.

Speaking at the forum, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung highlighted key achievements in Vietnam's socio-economic development after 40 years of Doi Moi (Renovation). Entering a new era, Vietnam is determined to drive fast and sustainable growth alongside maintaining macroeconomic stability, taking science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation as its pillars.

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung delivered a keynote address at the forum.

To achieve the goals set forth for the Forum, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung proposed that both sides explore and promote joint cooperation models in digital technology, AI, semiconductors, smart cities, sustainable agriculture, and startup incubators. He suggested that Japan share its experience and support Vietnamese localities and enterprises in building innovation ecosystems, accelerating digital transformation within local governments, and enhancing policy-making and governance capabilities in strategic new domains such as digital transformation, AI, semiconductors, quantum technology, and satellites.

Furthermore, localities from both nations should focus their discussions on their respective strengths, identifying priority and key sectors that offer mutual complementarity. On this basis, they should propose concrete and feasible cooperation initiatives or projects that can be implemented in the immediate future.

Delegates observing the forum.

 “With the spirit of 'placing localities, enterprises, and citizens at the core of cooperation,' this Forum must truly become an opportunity for the governments and local authorities of both nations to listen to the voices of businesses and people. This will allow for the proactive implementation of incentive policies and the creation of a favorable environment for investment connections between the two business communities, while ensuring that citizens are the primary beneficiaries of this cooperation—gaining more jobs, higher incomes, and enhanced skills,” Prime Minister Le Minh Hung emphasized.

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung called on the localities and enterprises of both countries to pioneer an innovative spirit, boldly transforming their mindset and methods of cooperation, shifting models from basic cooperation to co-creation, and from technology transfer to mutual development. Japanese enterprises should not only view Vietnam as a consumer market or a manufacturing base, but also recognize Vietnam as a hub for production, innovation, and sustainable supply chain connectivity serving both local needs and the Japanese economy.

Grounded in the motto "action, action, and action; work, work, and work," the Vietnamese Government, ministries, central agencies, and local authorities will continue to accompany Japanese localities and investors. They remain committed to resolving difficulties, vigorously improving the investment and business environment, and building open institutional frameworks to facilitate effective, substantive cooperation between the two countries' localities in this new era.

The Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate with relevant agencies, local governments, and Japanese enterprises to periodically review, consolidate, and report to the Prime Minister on the implementation of commitments and agreements reached at the Forum. This will ensure that this cooperation mechanism operates with high efficiency and efficacy, contributing to deepening and elevating the Vietnam - Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to new heights.

Topics discussed at the forum.

At the forum, delegates focused their discussions on two thematic sessions: "The Vietnam - Japan Local Innovation Ecosystem: Accelerating Digital Transformation and Building Smart, Sustainable Cities" and "From Heritage Conservation to Cultural Industries: Unlocking Potential and Connecting Local Cooperation Opportunities."

These two sessions addressed key areas such as the establishment of innovation centers and tech-startup incubators across localities; sharing mechanisms to promote technology research, transfer, application, and commercialization, as well as policy-sandboxing mechanisms to attract Japanese experts and tech enterprises; exchanging orientations and policies for the development of science, technology, and innovation in Vietnam; and sharing successful models of preserving and promoting cultural heritage value in connection with local tourism.

Delivering the closing remarks, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Anh Tuan highly appreciated the candid and practical exchanges among delegates. He underscored the need to translate the commitments and cooperation ideas discussed at the forum into concrete programs and projects, delivering tangible benefits to the citizens, businesses, and localities of both nations.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Anh Tuan delivered the concluding remarks at the forum.

The Deputy Minister affirmed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to act as a bridge, coordinating with ministries, sectors, local authorities, and Japanese partners to promote cooperation, particularly in high-potential areas aligned with the new development orientations of both countries. Through the Forum, Vietnamese and Japanese localities gain further opportunities to deepen mutual understanding, build partnership connections, share experiences, and expand cooperation across various fields. This actively contributes to concrete progress within the Vietnam - Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, bringing local-level cooperation into greater depth, substance, and effectiveness.

Earlier on the same morning of September 6, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung held a working session with the delegation of Japanese local representatives.

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung worked with the Japanese local delegation.

At the meeting, the Prime Minister warmly welcomed the Japanese delegates to Vietnam and highlighted the prominent achievements in Vietnam - Japan cooperation, as well as the strategic orientations to further foster cooperation between the localities of both nations.

Ha Tinh Provincial People's Committee Chairman Phan Thien Dinh attended a working session with the Japanese local delegation, chaired by Prime Minister Le Minh Hung.

Within the framework of the Forum, Phan Thien Dinh, Chairman of the Ha Tinh Provincial People's Committee, visited the exhibition booth showcasing Ha Tinh’s signature and OCOP (One Commune One Product) products at the Vietnam - Japan exhibition area. Following the tour, Mr. Phan Thien Dinh highly commended the preparation, display, and introduction of the province’s products. He emphasized that this event serves as a valuable opportunity to promote Ha Tinh's image, products, potential, and strengths, while fostering connections and expanding cooperation with Japanese localities and enterprises.

Phan Thien Dinh, Chairman of the Ha Tinh Provincial People's Committee, visited the exhibition booth showcasing Ha Tinh's key regional specialties and OCOP (One Commune One Product) products at the Vietnam - Japan Exhibition.