Speaking at a press conference on September 18 to mark the 53rd anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan, Japan's ambassador to Vietnam, Ito Naoki, highlighted a series of achievements in bilateral cooperation.
He said cooperation in the semiconductor industry was becoming increasingly tangible and had emerged as one of the key pillars of innovation collaboration between the two countries.
In the energy sector, Japan is supporting Vietnam's implementation of the National Power Development Plan VIII. Under the framework of the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC), the two sides are expected to launch 15 pilot projects with a combined value of around USD 20 billion.
Among these initiatives, Japan is placing particular emphasis on thermal power plants using domestically produced natural gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Trade remains a major bright spot in Vietnam-Japan relations. During the first eight months of 2026, bilateral trade reached USD 38.6 billion, up more than 15 per cent from the same period last year.
According to Ito Naoki, if the current pace of growth continues, total two-way trade for the full year could approach USD 60 billion.
Japanese investment in Vietnam has also continued to expand. In the first eight months of the year, newly registered and additional investment from Japan totalled USD 2.3 billion, an increase of 14.3 per cent year on year.
Cumulative Japanese investment in Vietnam has now reached USD 81 billion, making Japan one of the country's largest foreign investors.
Ito Naoki also said that relevant Japanese agencies and defence-sector companies would actively participate in the Vietnam Defence Expo scheduled for December, with the aim of exploring additional opportunities to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the field.
