Japan’s Suga visits Vietnam, agrees to strengthen defence ties

Japan and Vietnam on Monday agreed to strengthen political trust, enhance cooperation in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic and boost investment to bolster economies.

In a wide-ranging discussion it includes the expectation that commercial flights between the countries will soon resume.

Yoshihide Suga held talks with Vietnamese premier Nguyen Xuan Phuc over defence cooperation as part of his first foreign trip as Japan’s prime minister.

Phuc said during talks “Japan is a strategic partner for Vietnam. I welcome Prime Minister Suga’s choice to visit Vietnam during his first overseas trip. It shows the strength of the relationship between Japan and Vietnam.’’

After their talks, Suga told reporters Vietnam is key to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific, and that the two nations would increase defence cooperation amid ongoing tensions with China in the South China Sea.

Suga told reporters after meeting Phuc in Hanoi that “it is a big step in the field of security for both countries that we reached an agreement in principle on the transfers of defence equipment and technology.’’

During his visit, Suga will also speak with the head of Vietnam’s National Assembly and lay wreaths at both a monument for fallen war heroes and at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the resting place of the nation’s former revolutionary leader.

Suga assumed office as premier in September after his predecessor Shinzo Abe abruptly stepped down due to health issues. He is visiting Vietnam from October 18 to 20 before travelling to Indonesia.