PM Phạm Minh Chính meets a representative from Sumitomo Corporation on Wednesday. – VNA/VNS Photo

TOKYO – Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính spoke with Japanese investors on Wednesday, during which the Vietnamese Government leader affirmed that the Việt Nam-Japan relationship has never been as good as it is now, and will even grow better in the future.

According to the PM, Japan is currently the largest ODA donor to Viet Nam, with nearly US$27 billion, accounting for approximately 30 per cent of the ODA that the Japanese government provides for countries worldwide.

He highlighted that Japan is among the largest foreign investors in Viet Nam, with about 4,800 projects totalling over $65 billion. Japan is also the third biggest tourism market of Viet Nam, with about 1 million tourists visiting the Southeast Asian nation. Two-way trade between Việt Nam and Japan has so far hit over $40 billion.

The Government leader said Việt Nam prioritises development in harmony with nature, climate change adaptation and digital transformation, therefore, it urgently needs capital, technology and management methods, which are the strengths of Japanese investors, who have a good understanding of and have a lot of success in the Vietnamese market.

Earlier the same day, PM Chính received representatives from leading economic corporations and universities of Japan that intend to invest in Việt Nam.

The general director of Shionogi Inc said that the group will continue to help Viet Nam pilot the production of vaccines and drugs for COVID-19 treatment, adding that the firm wants to invest in a facility for vaccines and medicine research and production in Viet Nam, the first of this kind of the group in Southeast Asia.

Meanwhile, President of Hitachi Ltd., Higashihara Toshiaki proposed the Vietnamese Government allow the firm to expand its investment in projects on the environment, healthcare, disaster risk reduction and railways in Viet Nam, thus contributing to the country’s development.

Meeting with representatives from Sumitomo Corporation – a partner of BRG Vietnam, PM Chính applauded the firm’s investment plan to develop urban areas in Việt Nam. However, he suggested that the group study to combine urban development with production and business, and the development of cultural, sports and medical institutions.

During meetings with representatives from Ryukyu University Okinawa, Jutendo University, Hokkaido University, Waseda University, Hiroshima University, and Kobuta, Paramount and Horiba and Azuma corporations, PM Chinh welcomed investment ideas of the establishments, saying that these are all areas that Việt Nam is in need of investment. – VNS