Vietnam´s Foreign Affairs

[Viet]

La presidenta de Argentina, Cristina Fernández (on a visit to Cuba)

 

[7freedom7]

A 3 day visit is not short, seemingly Vietnam is an important stop for the madam president.

 

[7freedom7]

He hoped that the RoK support peace and stability in the East Sea, as well as the settlement of East Sea disputes through peaceful means and according to international law.

For that purpose, Vietnam would get required to trade the collaboration with North Korea for that in exchange of the verbal support at most.

Suffice it to say South Korea cant be counted on ragardless, they're not concernd about those tiny islets far down south.

 

[EastSea]

For that purpose, Vietnam would get required to trade the collaboration with North Korea for that in exchange of the verbal support at most.

Suffice it to say South Korea cant be counted on ragardless, they're not concernd about those tiny islets far down south.

I think we ready to help North Korean to open his economy. In Vietnam, North Korean considered as brothers, even North Korean followed China policy to supported Khmer Rouge attacked on Vietnam 1976-1978.

North Korea Looks To Vietnam For Inspiration

There are signs that North Korea may be setting out on the path of economic reform.

There are signs that North Korea may be setting out on the path of economic reform. While its giant neighbor China is one obvious example to follow, experts say Vietnam is seen as a far better model by Pyongyang.

The New Year speech by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was widely viewed as surprising, appearing to indicate that a radical change in policy was being embarked upon.

His wish, it seemed, was that North Korea should set out on an economic journey.

For Werner Pfennig from the Institute for Korean Studies in Berlin, the statement was not so unexpected. Since the young leader took power, a lot has happened in North Korea and the New Year speech should be taken seriously.

The German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper recently published a report suggesting Kim's speech was about more than just empty platitudes.

Specifically, it cited German economic experts who had apparently given advice to the North Korean leadership about reforms. The country would begin to implement changes this year, the adviser told the newspaper. And, he said, Vietnam was to serve as a model for the modernization of the country.

"If North Korea really does have any kind of example, then it is Vietnam," Pfennig told DW, adding that Vietnam's influence was more important than China's for North Korea.

"Special economic zones along the lines of the Chinese model have, diplomatically speaking, had limited success in North Korea." In addition, there is great mistrust in North Korea about the band of Communism practiced by its larger neighbor. "If a North Korean delegation travels to China, then they think that they are in the West," said Pfennig. Not so with Vietnam.

Central to all of this was the relationship between openness and control, according to Pfennig. "The belief in North Korea is that Vietnam follows an economic policy in its dealings with other countries in which Vietnam has complete control. That is what makes Vietnam so attractive."

There were also other considerations. In the 1970s, for example, Vietnam overcame the United States and succeeded in achieving national reunification between North and South. In addition, Vietnam insists "on its independence, even where China is concerned - and it had a charismatic leader." Even today, Ho Chi Min - who died in 1969 - is still venerated in Vietnam.

Vietnam's rise

The socialist countries that were left behind after the breakup of the Eastern Bloc took various different directions. Vietnam opted for a comprehensive political and economic renewal. Instead of a centrally planned economy, a socialist economy similar to China's was conceived - one that gave the people greater leeway.

Vietnam's development was based on two major policies, Gerhard Will, Asia expert with the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, told DW. First of all, the government introduced initiatives to liberalize markets to a certain extent - first in agriculture, then in family businesses and finally in larger companies. Secondly, it opened up to world markets, which in turn attracted foreign investment.

"Vietnam's Communist leadership was much cleverer in spotting international opportunities and thought much more in economic terms than North Korea."

Vietnam subsequently achieved immense growth rates of up to ten percent and rose to become the second largest exporter of rice in the world in the 1990's.

In contrast, North Korea held firm on its Stalinist course after 1989 and became increasingly radicalized. It set out on a path of military armament and nuclear buildup - to pose a threat to the West. Pyongyang used its atomic weapons program to blackmail the international community. It even threatened the West with its own downfall, Will explained. "The collapse of the regime poses an even greater threat for neighboring countries than the nuclear weapons program."

If North Korea completely collapsed, China and South Korea fear they would have to accept a wave of starving refugees; there are currently 24 million people living in the isolated country.

Policy leads to famine

Its policy of isolation brought the North's economy to a virtual standstill in the 1990s. Even today, the country would not be able to produce enough food to feed its people without extra help from China and Russia - there is not enough fuel nor is there enough agricultural machinery to do the job.

The North Korean regime was responsible for catastrophic famines which caused the deaths of between 600,000 and one million people between 1994 and 1999.

Neither Will nor Pfennig are convinced North Korea would be successful in implementing either the Chinese or the Vietnamese models. The basic conditions for reforms were simply "much less adequate than in China or Vietnam," according to Will.

"It lacks the agricultural base from which the first impetus for reform came in China and Vietnam," Pfennig mentioned.

Held back by isolation

Another difference is the extreme isolation of the country. As Will pointed out, Pyongyang simply lacked the necessary allies. Furthermore, North Korea, as opposed to China and Vietnam, did not have a large population of expats upon which it could draw. "The Chinese and Vietnamese who were living abroad were the ones who forged the links with the world market in the first stages of reform."

Currently, from Pfennig's point of view, a solution from within the Koreas could be more promising than any other model - for example special economic zone Kaesong, in the southwestern part of North Korea. Up to 50,000 North Koreans work there under South Korean management. So far, it has proved to be quite a success.

North Korea Looks To Vietnam For Inspiration

 

[Viet]

Japan PM Shinzo Abe heads for Vietnam in South East Asia push
16 January 2013 Last updated at 04:01 GMT

Japan's Shinzo Abe is heading to South East Asia in his first overseas visit as prime minister.

Mr Abe, who was elected in December, will visit Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia in what is being seen as a diplomatic push into the region. Economic ties are expected to top the agenda but rumbling territorial rows with China are also set to come up.

Mr Abe's first stop is in Hanoi, which like Japan is engaged in a maritime dispute with Beijing.

Japan and China have contesting claims to East China Sea islands, while Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Taiwan all have overlapping claims with Beijing in the South China Sea.

"I want to make this trip the beginning of the Abe cabinet's strategic diplomacy," Kyodo news agency quoted Mr Abe saying ahead of his trip. "I also want to spur Japan's growth through a stronger partnership with ASEAN (the Association of South East Asian Nations)," he said.




Interview with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe before his visit to Vietnam

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe delivers a speech at Akihabara electronics store district in Tokyo December 15, 2012.
Photo: Reuters

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Vietnam today as his first overseas trip since assuming office last December. He earlier explained to Tuoi Tre (Vietnamese Youth Newspaper) the reasons he chose Vietnam over other countries.

Why did you decide to visit Vietnam first?

Shinzo Abe: Asia Pacific is undergoing big changes. We need to strive more to ensure peace and prosperity for the region. In such a context, ASEAN nations have set out a target to build an ASEAN community and boost further cooperation as an economic alliance by 2015. Japan always hold in high regard and walk side by side with ASEAN.

I have decided to visit three countries: Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia, countries that play an important role as “the center of development” of the 21st century. Increasing cooperation with those three nations is very important to contribute to development and stability of the region.

Furthermore, this year is the 40th anniversary of the friendly Japan-ASEAN relationship. The Japan-ASEAN summit is expected to take place in Japan this December.

I hope that through this visit, Japan will increase cooperation not only with the three mentioned countries but the strategic cooperation with the whole ASEAN will be raised to a new height.

What are the significance and objectives of your visit to Vietnam?

- Vietnam is the first country I visit since taking the Prime Ministerial office. Japan and Vietnam have common concerns in Asia Pacific, with both assisting each other in economic matters. Vietnam is also one of the strategic partners of Japan.

2013 is the “Japan-Vietnam friendship year” marking the 40th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic establishment. I hope this is an opportunity to create a breakthrough in relationship between the two countries which has been well-rounded and growing in many aspects from economy and culture to people exchanges.

I also look forward to meeting top Vietnamese leaders like Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, who is my old friend, President Truong Tan Sang and Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

In October 2006, as Japanese Prime Minister then, you and PM Nguyen Tan Dung issued a joint statement on strategic partnership. What are your assessments of this partnership?

- The Japan-Vietnam strategic relation has been developing strongly in many fields in the past six years. After receiving Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to Japan in October 2006, in November that year I visited Vietnam. After that, mutual top-level visits regularly took place.

On the economic side, the goal of raising bilateral trade turnover to US$15 billion by 2010 was realized two years ahead of target. In 2012, trade turnover reached $25 billion. Japan’s investment in Vietnam also increased quickly. In 2012, Japan was the biggest investor in Vietnam.

Since 2006, Japan has been Vietnam’s biggest donor. Besides big projects proposed by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung like the Lang Hoa Lac High Tech Zone, North South Expressway, Japan has been cooperating with many Vietnamese economic projects in many fields in the past six years.

On the cultural front, people from both countries understand each other better and better. This 2013 friendship year will see many cultural programs introducing Japanese and Vietnamese cultures taking place in two countries.

What is your message to the Vietnamese people on this visit?

Two years have passed since I last visited Vietnam. Vietnam has made great strides since then. I look forward to visiting your country to directly feel the atmosphere and witness the change. It can be said that Japan and Vietnam started to have ties in the 16th, 17th centuries.

The two peoples have many common cultural traits like using chopsticks, eating rice as the main food and Buddhism. Vietnam has charmed many Japanese tourists. Many Japanese companies are expanding investment in Vietnam. I know that there are more and more Vietnamese learning the Japanese language and loving Doraemon.

I myself have many times visited Vietnam and feel very close to the country. I think we need to increase people exchanges further and to make the atmosphere of this friendship year more exciting on many levels. As Prime Minister, I will do my best to further boost ties between the two countries.

 

[Viet]

Vietnam, Japan strengthen strategic partnership
Updated : 1/16/2013 10:05:12 AM VOV

(VOV) - Japan is one of Vietnam’s top economic partners and the first country in the Group of Seven (G7) to recognize Vietnam’s market economy status.

 

[Viet]

Arrival in Vietnam

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is greeted after arriving at Hanoi airport on Jan. 16, 2013, on the first leg of his Southeast Asian tour to Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia. (Kyodo)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is greeted by Vietnamese PM Dung

 

[Viet]

Vietnam, Japan PMs hold talks in Hanoi
1/16/2013 6:47:34 PM Voice of Vietnam

arrival in Vietnam

VN´s Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe

(VOV) - Vietnam and Japan will develop their strategic partnership comprehensively, especially in economics, trade and investment.

The agreement was reached during talks in Hanoi on January 16 between Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe who arrived here the same day for an official visit.

Vietnam and Japan are committed to deepening the strategic partnership

They agreed to increase delegation visits and dialogues at all levels to strengthen the friendship and cooperation.

The two countries will work closely together to effectively implement high-level agreements on economic cooperation, primarily for infrastructure construction projects, they said.

Japan has committed to helping Vietnam implement a number of key infrastructure projects, including those to build the trans-national expressway, Lach Huyen seaport and Ninh Thuan 2 nuclear power plant, as well as a project to exploit and process rare earth.

It is also implementing a pilot project to receive Vietnamese orderlies.

PM Nguyen Tan Dung appreciated Japanese provision of ODA to Vietnam

PM Dung thanked Japan, and PM Abe himself, for committing high levels of official development assistance (ODA) capital amounting to US$1.7 billion to Vietnam’s socio-economic development.

He appreciated Japanese assistance for formulating Vietnamese development strategies, especially the national industrialization strategy within the framework of the Vietnam-Japan cooperation towards 2020 and the vision for 2030.

Shinzo Abe confirmed that Vietnam is an important partner of Japan and the two countries can support each other in various areas, notably in economics.

Japan will further assist Vietnam to implement infrastructure construction projects and draw up development strategies, Abe told Dung.

PM Shinzo Abe says Vietnam is an important partner of Japan

He announced the Japanese government’s decision to grant an additional US$500 million in ODA to help Vietnam implement three key infrastructure construction projects.

Both host and guest agreed that Vietnam and Japan will increase cooperation in settling regional and international issues of mutual concern.

They will also work closely together to organize activities marking 40 years of ASEAN-Japan dialogue relations in 2013.

The two PMs underlined the need to cooperate closely to maintain peace, stability, cooperation and prosperity in the region, while settling any disputes through peaceful negotiations and according to international law.

Dung and Abe took the opportunity to announce the start of the Vietnam-Japan Friendship Year 2013, marking 40 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

In the evening, PM Dung gave a banquet in honour of PM Abe and his entourage.

Hanoi is one of the Japanese PM’s stopovers during his Southeast Asian tour, the first overseas trip after he took office last month. This is Abe’s second visit to Vietnam.

Japan is one of Vietnam’s leading economic partners, and it is also the first country of the Group Seven recognizing Vietnam’s market economy status. It is Vietnam’s biggest ODA donor, No 1 investor and third biggest trade partner.

PMs Nguyen Tan Dung and Shiinzo Abe signed a statement in 2009, establishing the Vietnam-Japan strategic partnership.

 

[Backbencher]

Best of luck Vietnam .
May you take the best investments and oppurtunities out of Japan

 

[7freedom7]

To boost the export of highspeed trains and nuclear energy projects which are highly controversial in Japan, the Japanese have to pick weak and small nations to trick into their economic plan, big powers wont be fooled given that the Japanese nuclear satefy watchdog is incapable of safeguard the nuclear facilities in Japan, let alone in other nations. And also remember that all those projects run by Japanese are highly charged and very pricy despite the ODA, which is not free and conditional.

 

[Viet]

To boost the export of highspeed trains and nuclear energy projects which are highly controversial in Japan, the Japanese have to pick weak and small nations to trick into their economic plan, big powers wont be fooled given that the Japanese nuclear satefy watchdog is incapable of safeguard the nuclear facilities in Japan, let alone in other nations.

And also remember that all those projects run by Japanese are highly charged and very pricy despite the ODA, which is not free and conditional.

Dude, you are right. We are fully aware of risk and reward. The difference between Japan and China toward Vietnam is, while Japan acts and helps, China remains passive. And if China says the Japanese want to fool us, than you insult our intelligence.

And I find that´s a nice move from Mr Abe that he gives additional US$500 million in ODA.

 

[7freedom7]

Dude, you are right. We are fully aware of risk and reward. The difference between Japan and China toward Vietnam is, while Japan acts and helps, China remains passive. And if China says the Japanese want to fool us, than you insult our intelligence.

And I find that´s a nice move from Mr Abe that he gives additional US$500 million in ODA.

No, I'm very straight up to speak the truth, honestly.

Not without any reason is it that the Vietnamese called a halt to the Shinkansen plan in Vietnam. Vietnamese elites are perfectly aware that the Japanese are very sneaky actually, check it for yourself.

Vietnam legislature rejects bullet train project - Channel NewsAsia

And mind you the equivalent Chinese project is less than half the cost and is technically comparable. Japanese overcharge you but you Vietnamese masses are fooled by your govt that is bursting with corrupt officals that are involved in the Japanese bribery in name of ODA.

China Benchmark
Speed: 350-380km/h
Cost: $27B (1570km x $17M per km)
Construction: 4-6years

Japanese Proposal
Speed: 300km/h
Cost: $56B (1570km x $36M per km)
Construction: 10?-30years (depending on the section)

I bet here if there is an open tender, the Vietnamese would like to pick the Chinese plan than the Japanese one.

 

[7freedom7]

And I find that´s a nice move from Mr Abe that he gives additional US$500 million in ODA.

ODA is in fact with many strings attached, it forces the Vietnamese only to choose the Japanese companies to carry out projects and as a result most of Japanese ODA-projects have been overcharged and ended up with poor quality and problems in Vietnam and elsewhere in Asia.

 

[SwatCat]

I wish Vietnam becomes manufacturing hub in ASEAN with the help of Japan

 

[Sanchez]

Dude, you are right. We are fully aware of risk and reward. The difference between Japan and China toward Vietnam is, while Japan acts and helps, China remains passive. And if China says the Japanese want to fool us, than you insult our intelligence.

And I find that´s a nice move from Mr Abe that he gives additional US$500 million in ODA.

It's bilateral coorporation, OK? We are glad Vietnam builds her infrastructure with Japan's money and price.

You don't have to bring China into this. Viets always remind Chinese the Greek legend "Story of Farmer and Snake". We will be glad to stay away...