Japan is continuing to strengthen ties with Southeast Asian countries, upgrading relations with Vietnam on Monday in a move that will pave the way for greater cooperation in areas such as trade and security as Tokyo seeks to counterbalance China¡¯s growing footprint in the region.
At a summit in Tokyo marking 50 years of diplomatic ties, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong agreed to elevate the relationship to a ¡°comprehensive strategic partnership.¡± The move makes Japan one of Vietnam¡¯s top-tier partners, along with the United States, China, Russia, South Korea and India.
In a, the two sides vowed to ramp up cooperation to ¡°new heights¡± and further expand it to ¡°new fronts,¡± including in the fields of economic security, energy, digital transformation, people-to-people exchanges and regional security, with Kishida calling Hanoi ¡°a key partner in achieving a free and open Indo-Pacific.¡±
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