On November 25, 2025, the first Vietnam-Japan Regional Cooperation Forum was held in Ha Long City, Quang Ninh Province, under the theme of “Accompanying Comprehensive Development and Shaping a Sustainable Future”. The forum was co-hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, the Quang Ninh Provincial People’s Committee, and the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam. From B&Company, CEO Ohta and advisor Tsuno (representatives of the Japan-Vietnam Kansai Friendship Association) deepened exchanges with relevant parties. We would like to provide an overview of the forum, including public information and on-site conditions.

Forum Overview: Inter-regional cooperation between Vietnam and Japan

The forum was attended by approximately 800 people, including senior officials of central and local governments, diplomatic representatives, business organizations, and numerous companies from both countries. The forum included Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, other relevant Vietnamese ministries and provinces, Ambassador of Japan to Vietnam Naoki Ito, and a delegation from 19 Japanese local governments, including Governor Ichita Yamamoto of Gunma Prefecture and several deputy governors.

By way of background, more than 110 cooperation agreements have already been signed between local governments in Vietnam and Japan, providing a solid foundation for further deepening the implementation phase in the future.

At the meeting, Japanese local government leaders reiterated their strong interest in cooperation with Vietnam. Participants also presented practical proposals for further strengthening bilateral cooperation and deepening local-level cooperation. Priority areas included high-tech agriculture, hydrogen, tourism, culture, trade fairs and exhibitions, aviation, environmental solutions, semiconductors, and the acceptance of Vietnamese talent.

Meeting between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and representatives of Japanese local governments

Source: Baochinhphu

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed that local-level cooperation is one of the most important and distinctive pillars supporting the friendly relations and partnership between Vietnam and Japan. The Vietnamese government has consistently positioned it as a practical and effective channel for cooperation and believes it contributes to the overall development of bilateral relations. In other words, the Forum is not just a platform for high-level dialogue, but also a mechanism for translating local strengths and business needs into concrete projects.

Venue/Date

The first Vietnam–Japan Regional Cooperation Forum was held in Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh Province, an area closely associated with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (who, as the province’s Party Secretary from 2011 to 2015, promoted improvements to the investment environment and advanced green-growth policies). The venue, a five-star hotel operated by the FLC Group, is not located on the coast, but it overlooks a spectacular view of Ha Long Bay. Following activities such as an industrial park visit on the previous day, the main program took place on November 25, with numerous meetings held from morning until night.

View from the hotel

Source: B&Company

November 25th Program Overview

Individual Sessions

We will introduce the events that our company’s Ohta and Tsuno attended.

Mr. Tsuno at the forum

Source: B&Company

□ Discussion session between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and representatives of Japanese local governments
Held in a small conference room prior to the plenary session. In addition to delivering opening remarks, the Vietnamese Prime Minister spoke several times throughout the discussion.

“I would like to hold a meeting like this every year, if possible, alternating between Vietnam and Japan. We should expand it from being led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to an approach driven by localities. I hope it will deliver tangible results. The Bai Chay Bridge in Ha Long Bay was also built with Japan’s ODA. We have established a Japanese language department at Ha Long University, and I hope it will develop into a Japanese cultural center.”

The above remarks were made. However, when speaking with Japanese participants about the idea of alternating venues, many felt that holding the forum alternately in Japan and Vietnam would be difficult in practice, and that expanding it within Vietnam would be a more realistic approach.

On the Japanese side, Gunma Governor Ichita Yamamoto did not speak at the outset—likely because he had held a separate meeting with the Prime Minister beforehand. Instead, several deputy governors and department directors from other local governments spoke in turn, including representatives from Yamanashi, Niigata, Tokushima, Osaka, Hiroshima, Miyagi, and Wakayama. Niigata highlighted its ski tourism and the Sado Gold Mine; Osaka expressed appreciation related to the Expo; Yamanashi proposed expanding smart agriculture initiatives to Vietnam and mentioned its interest in exporting grapes. Wakayama requested human resources in agriculture, tourism, and caregiving, and noted that it would dispatch a business mission to Ho Chi Minh City in December. In addition, although they were seated outside the main table, other Japanese local governments confirmed by our company as attending included Hokkaido, Nagano, Ehime, Shiga, Okayama, and Shimane, as well as Kobe City.

Forum Content

Source: B&Company

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Japanese local government leaders attend the forum

Source: Nguoilaodong

Other forum scenes

SourceB&Company

The Prime Minister’s later remarks

In the latter part of the discussion with Japanese local-government representatives, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh reiterated that the forum was held to fulfill the commitment made with Prime Minister Ishiba in August 2025, that he had just met Prime Minister Takaichi for the second time at the G20 in South Africa the previous day, and that General Secretary To Lam had sent a message wishing for the forum’s success. The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of the local-government channel in Vietnam–Japan relations and noted that he has consistently received courtesy calls whenever Japanese delegations visit Vietnam. He also set out the eight objectives listed in the table above.

Opening Ceremony

Several hundred people attended the event, and Ambassador Ito first read Prime Minister Takaichi’s speech, followed by the Ambassador’s own speech.

Ambassador Ito read the message on behalf of Prime Minister Takaichi

Source: B&Company

Next, Prime Minister Chinh gave a passionate speech that lasted for 30 minutes.

“GDP will grow at around 8% this year, but from next year onwards we will aim for double-digit growth. We will promote smart government and smart infrastructure and advance the development of ports and transportation. Japan and Vietnam will provide each other with what they lack. We will exchange people and technology in each region,” he said.

Prime Minister Chinh’s speech

Source: B&Company

He concluded by saying, “I agree with Prime Minister Takaichi’s words, ‘Work, work…’ Vietnam will also ‘Work, (five times), work together, (five times).”

In addition, Mr. Takebe shared personal recollections, including his first trip to Vietnam in 1994, when he accompanied Mr. Watanabe as his aide, carrying his bag.

Cooperation ceremony

Source: B&Company

In the afternoon, four breakout sessions were held. Ohta and Tsuno split responsibilities and attended all of them. In particular, during Breakout Session 2 (Culture–Tourism–People-to-People Exchange), Tsuno delivered a presentation on behalf of the Japan–Vietnam Kansai Friendship Association and signed an MoU with Ngo Trinh Ha, Consul General of Vietnam in Osaka. In the presentation, he emphasized the importance of citizen-to-citizen exchange in the culture and tourism fields to foster heartfelt Vietnam–Japan friendship, while also highlighting the appeal of Kansai, Wakayama, and the World Heritage site of Mount Koya.

The MoU with the Consulate General reaffirmed the cooperative relationship in Kansai on the occasion of the association’s 30th anniversary. Its key focus areas are: (1) leveraging experiences, know-how, and strengths across the Kansai region to address shared challenges, (2) developing human resources that contribute to both countries’ development and regional revitalization, and (3) promoting mutual understanding through cooperation in culture and tourism. The dinner featured distinctive local sake, and our team concluded the day by purchasing some as souvenirs.

Souvenirs for forum participants and locally purchased sake

Source: B&Company

Mr. Tsuno represented the signing of the cooperation agreement

Source: B＆Company

 Cover: Baochinhphu

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