Party General Secretary’s visit to Japan amid East Sea tensions: A strategic view

21/9/15


Japanese media these days continue to have a number of articles on the visit of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Following the recent visit by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to Japan from 14th to 18th September, Japanese media and public continue to express their optimism about bilateral ties.
The fruitful official visit to Japan by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, along with his successful tours to China and the US earlier this year, has contributed to improving the stature of Vietnam and the Party in the world.
The Vietnamese Communist Party chief's visit - his first to Japan since assuming his post in 2011 his first to Japan since assuming his post in 2011 - as a contribution to deepening the intensive and extensive strategic partnership between the two countries in order to promote peace and prosperity in the region.
Japanese public opinion expressed the hope for new development in bilateral relations after the visit of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.
The Party leader said despite historical fluctuations, both nations have overcome past challenges to promote trust, economic connection, sustainable development and future orientation.
Citing economic cooperation, the Party leader said Japan has contributed 30% of the 90 billion US dollars of ODA granted to Vietnam, with a total FDI capital of Japan worth over 37.5 billion dollars and projected bilateral trade revenue of 30 billion dollars this year.
During the visit, the two sides agreed to bolster economic connectivity which is critical to their relations with focuses on development strategy connectivity, production capacity connectivity, and human resources connectivity.
Vietnam and Japan were unanimous in expanding collaboration in other realms, including culture, people-to-people exchange, education-training, science-technology, and defence exchange. Japan will support Vietnam in joining the United Nations peace-keeping activities and improving the law enforcement capacity at sea.
The tour was made at a time when bilateral ties were developing fruitfully with a myriad of cooperation opportunities and opened up a new vision for the growth of the two countries’ extensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia.
The Vietnamese leader and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe issued a joint vision statement on the countries’ relations, which illustrated a new, positive and solid stride in their connections.
The two sides will strengthen connections in ensuring maritime security and safety – such as in search and rescue – and coping with non-traditional security issues like cyber security and terrorism, trans-national crime and piracy prevention. Japan will also support Vietnam to improve the capacity of its law enforcement at sea, addressing the consequences of unexploded ordnances leftover from wartime and joining United Nations peacekeeping forces.
Japan welcomed Vietnam’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation and development, diversification and multilateralisation of relations, and active international integration. It also valued the Southeast Asian nation’s role in sustaining peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.
Meanwhile, Vietnam lauded Japan’s active contributions to regional and global peace and development through laws, policies and constructive initiatives.
The two sides expressed serious concerns over recent developments on the South China Sea, including the massive land reclamation work and construction of outposts, which intensify tensions, damage trust and threaten peace and stability in the region and the world.
"It is very significant that we shared grave concerns over continuous unilateral actions to change the status quo and increase tensions in the South China Sea, which includes large-scale land reclamation and building of outposts," Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said in apparent reference to China's activities during a press conference.
The two countries in recent years have begun cooperating more closely on defense matters. Both have also become embroiled in maritime disputes with the largest country in the region, China. Beijing set up a new air-defense zone over the East China Sea in November 2013, in waters also claimed by Japan, and has recently stepped up land reclamation and building work on disputed islands of the South China Sea, known as the East Sea in Vietnam.
According to analysts, Mr. Trong’s visit was directed in part at mobilizing Japan’s support in the South China Sea and forging a stronger alliance with Tokyo. An official at Japan’s foreign ministry said Mr. Trong and Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are expected to share their concerns about what both countries perceive to be China’s efforts to strengthen its territorial claims in the South China Sea.
Japan will extend 100 billion yen ($832 million) in infrastructure aid to Vietnam and provide patrol boats as the two countries vow to expand ties amid growing concern over China’s muscle-flexing in disputed areas of the South China Sea.
Japan will supply Vietnam’s coast guard with 200 million yen ($1.7 million) worth of used ships and equipment, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said after meeting with Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Last month, Japan delivered the first out of six vessels it had promised to give Vietnam for the Southeast Asian country to enhance its maritime law-enforcement capability.
They also highlighted the significance of ensuring peace, security, and maritime and aviation safety and freedom and urged relevant parties to not conduct unilateral actions complicating and expanding disputes in the East Sea, resolve all disputes peacefully in accordance with internationally recognised principles – particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, seriously implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea and work to shortly issue a code of conduct in the waters.
It is concluded that the successful tours by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong intensified Vietnam’s important external relations and considerably elevated the global standing of the country and the Party, ultimately helping create a favourable international environment for the national development and protection./.
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All comments [ 4 ]


Funny Day 24/9/15 06:10

the relation between Vietnam and Japan has been developed based on mutual trust and respect

erica black 24/9/15 06:15

the visit of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to Japan demonstrated a new hight level of the relation

Unknown 24/9/15 06:18

almost Vietnamese people feel confident and love Japan

Unknown 24/9/15 06:25

Japan has played an increasingly important role for protection of safety, freedom of navigation, peace and stability in the East Sea

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