At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ regular press briefing on the afternoon of November 5, Spokesperson Pham Thu Hang provided information on Viet Nam’s major upcoming diplomatic activities, notably the official visit to Japan by General Secretary and State President To Lam.

According to the spokesperson, at the invitation of the Japanese State, General Secretary and State President To Lam, his spouse and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation will pay an official visit to Japan from November 8 to 11, 2026.

This will be General Secretary and State President To Lam’s first official visit to Japan in his capacity as General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Central Committee and State President of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam. It will also be the first visit to Japan by a Vietnamese General Secretary in 11 years.

Promoting the Viet Nam - Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

Providing an update on bilateral relations, Pham Thu Hang emphasized that the Viet Nam - Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has continued to develop comprehensively, substantively and effectively across Party, Government and parliamentary channels, people-to-people exchanges, and cooperation between ministries, sectors and localities. Political trust has been further strengthened, with the two countries continuing to share many common strategic interests.

Notably, economic cooperation remains one of the key pillars of bilateral relations. Japan is currently Viet Nam’s largest partner in official development assistance (ODA) and labor cooperation, its third-largest investor and fourth-largest trading partner.

As of July 2026, Japan had approximately 5,800 investment projects in Viet Nam, with total registered capital of USD 80.4 billion. Bilateral trade reached USD 33.7 billion in the first eight months of 2026, up 27% year on year.

Alongside traditional areas of cooperation, the two countries have made significant progress in emerging fields such as digital transformation, green transition and renewable energy. Cooperation in human resource development, local-level connectivity and people-to-people exchanges has also remained a highlight of Viet Nam - Japan relations.

The Vietnamese community in Japan currently numbers nearly 700,000, with an increasing proportion of intellectuals and highly skilled workers. Approximately 7,000 Vietnamese IT engineers are working in Japan.

Expanding cooperation in trade, the economy, and emerging areas

Regarding the visit’s program, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson said General Secretary and President To Lam is expected to meet the Emperor of Japan, hold talks with the Japanese Prime Minister, and meet the Presidents of the House of Councillors and the House of Representatives.

He is also expected to deliver a policy speech at the Japanese National Diet, visit Kanagawa Prefecture and attend other important diplomatic activities.

Elaborating on the objectives and expectations of the visit, Pham Thu Hang said it aims to consolidate the Viet Nam - Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and promote substantive and comprehensive cooperation across all pillars.

Accordingly, the two countries will continue to strengthen political trust and step up economic, investment and trade cooperation, while discussing measures to expand and deepen collaboration in emerging fields such as co-creation, green transition, digital transformation and high-quality human resource development.

Education, training and labor cooperation will also receive attention, drawing on Japan’s strengths and experience while meeting Viet Nam’s development needs.

Alongside cooperation at the central level, ties between localities and people-to-people exchanges will continue to be promoted. The two countries currently have more than 100 pairs of localities with cooperative relations. In 2026 alone, 10 large-scale exchange festivals have been held in Viet Nam and Japan.

The Foreign Ministry spokesperson expressed her hope that the visit would provide strong momentum for translating agreements and commitments reached by the two countries’ senior leaders into deeper, more effective and substantive cooperation outcomes.

This would further contribute to the development and growth objectives of both Viet Nam and Japan, while promoting peace, cooperation and development around the world.

According to information provided at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ regular press briefing on November 5, Japan is currently Viet Nam’s largest partner in ODA and labor cooperation, its third-largest investor and fourth-largest trading partner. As of July 2026, Japan had approximately 5,800 investment projects in Viet Nam, with total registered capital of USD 80.4 billion. Bilateral trade reached USD 33.7 billion in the first eight months of 2026, up 27% year on year. In addition to traditional areas of cooperation, digital transformation, green transition, renewable energy and human resource development have continued to record positive progress.