 |
| Japanese Consul General to Ho Chi Minh City Watanabe Nobuhiro speaks at the event. (Photo: baobinhphuoc.com.vn) |
Speaking at the ceremony, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Vo Van Hoan expressed his joy at the two countries Vietnam and Japan celebrating 50 years of diplomatic relations, and showed his happiness and pride of the achievements in the development of relations between Vietnam - Japan in general, and Ho Chi Minh City - Japan in particular.
Since 2009, the city has witnessed an increase from 38 investment projects with a total capital of USD46.7 million to nearly 1,600 projects with a total investment capital of about USD5.5 billion. This strong growth has made Japan the third largest investor out of 117 countries and territories investing in the city. The trade turnover between Ho Chi Minh City and Japan increased from USD3.3 billion in 2009 to nearly USD5.1 billion last year.
Since 2009 the number of Japanese living in Ho Chi Minh City has increased by more than 3 times, reaching nearly 11,000 people in 2022. On the other hand, the Vietnamese community has become the second largest expat community in Japan. Festivals and cultural exchange events are regularly held in both Ho Chi Minh City and Japan, becoming an important bridge bringing Vietnamese people in general, Ho Chi Minh City in particular and Japanese people closer and closer to each other despite the geographical distance.
According to Mr. Hoan, in recent years, the city has received many proposals for cooperation in various fields from Japanese localities, especially labor cooperation and response to climate change. Last December, the Friendship Dialogue organized by the city for the first time received a strong response from Japanese localities. Many proposals were made by Japanese localities at this forum to promote cooperation in human resource development, carbon emission reduction and green transition. Regarding Vietnam - Japan relations, he emphasized the contribution of the Emperor, especially on the occasion of his 63rd birthday. In recent high-level contacts, Vietnamese leaders have invited the Emperor and Empress Masako to visit Vietnam in 2023, hoping that Ho Chi Minh City will be on the schedule of the visit.
Japanese Consul General to Ho Chi Minh City Watanabe Nobuhiro emphasized that Japan is currently the third FDI investor in Ho Chi Minh City and Japanese enterprises have affirmed that they will continue to invest and expand production into Vietnam, including in Ho Chi Minh City. Regarding the recent Japanese investment trend in Ho Chi Minh City, he said that it is in the retail and service sectors. In 2023, the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries will have many commemorative activities. He expected the completion of the construction of metro line 1 - a symbol of cooperation between Japan and Vietnam - as a special event in 2023, contributing to the diversification of the transport system for the people in Ho Chi Minh City.
Naruhito became the 126th Emperor of Japan on May 1, 2019, starting the new imperial era of Reiwa./.