Japanese Emperor Naruhito awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun to former Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, while Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae presented the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star to former Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung, at a ceremony in Tokyo on November 10, in recognition of their contribution to bilateral relations.

The decisions on the conferment of the decorations were announced by the Japanese government on November 3.

During his tenure as head of the Vietnamese Government, former PM Chinh made a significant contribution to elevating Japan – Viet Nam relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World in 2023. He also worked to translate cooperation projects into concrete action and accelerate their implementation to deliver tangible results under the newly established bilateral framework.

Notably, he chaired three dialogues with Japanese businesses between March 2025 and March 2026, helping identify solutions and make progress in addressing difficulties facing Japanese firms.

For former Deputy PM Dung, since becoming Minister of Planning and Investment in 2016, he has continuously served as co-chair of the Viet Nam-Japan Joint Initiative. Together with the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) and the Japanese Government, he chaired many important conferences aimed at improving the investment environment and resolving obstacles encountered by Japanese businesses operating in Viet Nam.

During his working visits to Japan, he traveled to Aichi, Mie, Hokkaido and Ibaraki prefectures. He also arranged meetings with the governors of Gunma, Niigata and Toyama prefectures during their visits to Viet Nam, helping strengthen exchanges and cooperation between localities of the two countries.