In view of the increasing regional security threats, Japan and Vietnam are bolstering their defense relations.
During talks between the Defence Ministers of Vietnam and Japan in Hanoi in August, the two sides agreed to continue to effectively maintain bilateral defence cooperation mechanisms.
Reflecting on the progress of bilateral defence ties, a senior Vietnam defence ministry official highlighted the tangible results achieved since the signing of the Joint Vision Statement on Defence Cooperation toward the next decade by the two defence ministries in April 2018. These include the exchange of high-level delegations, defence policy dialogue, education-training, military medicine, search and rescue, post-war recovery, capacity-building support programmes, and mutual consultation and support at multilateral forums and mechanisms, particularly those led by ASEAN.
Cooperation between Japan and Việtnam has a special mention in Japan’s new defense white paper 2024 released on July 12. The white paper emphasizes that after the two countries upgraded their relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia and the world in November 2023, the two sides have made strong developments in the field of defence and security.
In September, member of the Central Military Commission and Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen Pham Hoai Nam hosted a reception in Hanoi for President of the National Defence Academy of Japan Kubo Fumiaki.
Nam highlighted the major strides in defence cooperation between the two nations, noting regular visits by leaders from the two countries’ defence ministries, armies and national defence forces, as well as engagements at multilateral forums. He underlined practical results in personnel training, cybersecurity, and post-war recovery efforts among armed forces, with education and training being a standout area of collaboration.
High-level dialogues and meetings are continuing. With talks between Japan’s new Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the ASEAN Summit in October are an example.
In November, the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan held a ceremony to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army (December 22, 1944-2024) and 35 years of the All-People Defence Festival. During the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu described the bilateral defence relationship as a cornerstone of the broader Vietnam-Japan partnership, becoming a bright spot in bilateral relations.
Regarding defence ties with Japan, the envoy said that along with maintaining regular visits and delegation exchanges, including the visit by Japan’s Defence Minister to Vietnam in August, the two sides have maintained cooperation mechanisms such as the deputy ministerial-level Defence Policy Dialogue.
Both sides have signed numerous defence cooperation agreements and strengthened ties in areas such as post-war recovery efforts, training, military medicine, search and rescue operations, and UN peacekeeping missions. The two sides have also coordinated closely within the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM +).
In 2023, Japan and Vietnam agreed to expand cooperation in cybersecurity, military training and defense equipment transfers. The initiatives align with Tokyo’s strategy to bolster security ties with Southeast Asian nations to uphold a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.
Japan continues to expand other forms of international cooperation, all of which could benefit its defence industry. With the U.S., Japan is further deepening defence-industrial cooperation through the Defense Industrial Cooperation, Acquisition, and Sustainment Forum.
In addition, in March 2024, Japan began participating in the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation’s Eurodrone uninhabited aerial vehicle programme as an observer. Also, in the same month, the Japanese cabinet agreed to revise its arms-exports policy to allow the sale of next-generation combat aircraft that Japan is jointly developing with the UK and Italy under the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP).
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