HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam and Japan have agreed to enhance strategic collaboration across crucial industries, including high-tech sectors such as the digital transformation and semiconductor development, during the Việt Nam-Japan Cooperation Forum held in Hà Nội on Monday.

In his speech at the event, Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính said that the world is facing unprecedented challenges, including geopolitical tensions, trade disruptions, climate change, supply chain instability and a shift in global production networks.

In this context, he emphasised the need for Việt Nam and Japan to take a pioneering role in promoting cooperation in technological innovation, digital transformation, the green transition, and the semiconductor industry.

PM Chính has called on the Japanese government to continue working with Việt Nam and increasing support for the country through official development assistance (ODA) programmes, with a focus on strategic, high-tech industries and innovation.

He also urged Japan to further promote cooperation and provide support to Việt Nam in crucial areas, including technology transfer, green finance, workforce training, the semiconductor industry, artificial intelligence, the establishment of an international financial centre, and the country's green transition efforts.

In particular, the PM proposed that Japan continue its support for Việt Nam’s National Innovation Centre (NIC), helping it to play a central role in building and advancing Việt Nam’s innovation ecosystem.

At the same time, Chính also encouraged the Japanese business community to expand investment in Việt Nam, especially in the aforementioned strategic sectors. This would contribute significantly to enhancing Việt Nam’s national competitiveness and advancing its deeper integration into the global value chain, he said.

For his part, Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru highlighted the historical role of Japan’s manufacturing industry in Việt Nam’s economic growth since the 1990s. He stated that with a market of 100 million people and a highly capable workforce, Việt Nam remains a promising and attractive destination for investment.

Reflecting on his recent visit to the Thăng Long Industrial Park, PM Ishiba expressed appreciation for the close collaboration between Japanese and Vietnamese enterprises. He noted that amid an increasingly unstable global economy, strengthening cooperation between Japan and Việt Nam -- countries with tightly linked supply chains -- presents a major opportunity to upgrade industrial capacities.

The Japanese Prime Minister reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to supporting Việt Nam in enhancing its resilience to external economic shocks. This support will come through public-private sector coordination in areas like workforce development and carbon emissions reduction.

In addition, Japan will support the construction of a polycrystalline silicon factory in Việt Nam and promote decarbonisation initiatives within industrial parks. Cooperation with the NIC is already connecting start-ups with leading enterprises from both nations, with encouraging initial outcomes.

The PM said that in the field of carbon reduction and energy cooperation, multiple projects are underway, including offshore wind power development, upgrading electricity transmission networks, and biomass energy initiatives.

Business cooperation

During the forum, leading enterprises from both countries, such as Tokuyama, Nipro Panasonic, Tromso, T&T, CMC and FPT, shared their business plans, investment projects, and collaborative efforts in key areas like technology, the green transformation, and semiconductor development.

T&T Group Deputy General Director Nguyễn Thị Thanh Bình said that her company is currently implementing several significant green energy projects in partnership with Japanese enterprises. This collaboration reflects a strong commitment to advancing green growth and the energy transition in Việt Nam, while also deepening the economic ties between the two countries.

While highlighting the vast potential for bilateral energy cooperation, Bình said Việt Nam has demand and abundant resources for renewable energy development, while Japan brings valuable expertise in technology and investment capital.

She emphasised that this complementary partnership, supported by both governments, sets the stage for large-scale clean energy projects that will contribute significantly to the green growth and sustainable development goals of both nations.

Trương Gia Bình, chairman of FPT Group, emphasised the role of Việt Nam's talented, young and ambitious workforce in driving this partnership.

He called on the two governments and two prime ministers to continue actively supporting the collaboration between businesses, helping to further strengthen the economic ties between the two countries.

During the event, representatives from Japanese enterprises expressed strong appreciation for Việt Nam's improved investment and business environment. They remarked on the active support they received from Vietnamese agencies, which has facilitated smooth operations and strengthened their commitments to further investments in Việt Nam.

As of March, Japan had more than 5,500 valid projects in Việt Nam with a total capital of nearly US$78.6 billion, mainly focusing on manufacturing, processing, energy and high-tech industries. In the first quarter of this year, investment capital from Japan increased by over 20 per cent year-on-year, a positive signal for a new phase of cooperation. — VNS