A policy was presented to transform Vietnam-Japan investment ties from a simple investor-investee relationship into a partnership focused on joint development, creation, research, innovation, production and meaningful participation. A working meeting with representatives of Japanese companies was held in Hue on 6 September.
On 6 September, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung chaired a working meeting with representatives of Japanese companies in Hue as part of the 2nd Vietnam-Japan Local Cooperation Forum. At the meeting, a proposal was put forward to transform the investment relationship between the two countries into a partnership for joint development, creation, research, innovation, production and meaningful participation, moving beyond the framework of an investor-investee relationship.
Bilateral trade reached $33.7 billion in the first seven months of 2026, up 16.8% year on year. Vietnam's exports to Japan amounted to approximately $17.6 billion, while imports from Japan totaled approximately $16.1 billion.
Cumulative registered and adjusted investment capital from Japan reached approximately $8.03 billion, ranking third among 153 jurisdictions investing in Vietnam. Japan is also one of Vietnam's largest ODA providers, with cumulative ODA loan commitments amounting to approximately ¥3 trillion.
The prime minister urged ministries and agencies to continue reviewing and implementing the roadmap for cooperation between the two countries, and called on the Japanese side to engage in concrete dialogue and agree on solutions. A policy was also presented to strengthen cooperation in areas including high-tech agriculture, infrastructure, energy and digital transformation.