Takaichi Sanae Visits Vietnam Focusing on Regional Peace, to Discuss Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy
Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae will visit Vietnam from May 1st to 3rd and will deliver a speech on the "Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy" at Hanoi University. The aim is to achieve new cooperation in regional peace and economic security, respecting Vietnam's "strategic autonomy."
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- 📰 Published: April 29, 2026 at 15:26
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Central News Agency
(Hanoi, Reporter Tseng Ting-hsuan, April 29) Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae will visit Vietnam from May 1st to 3rd. Japan's Ambassador to Vietnam, Ito Naoki, stated that Takaichi Sanae will deliver a speech at Hanoi University on the "Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy," hoping that both sides, leveraging Vietnam's "strategic autonomy," will achieve new cooperation in the Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy, regional peace, and economic security.
Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam, Ito Naoki, held a press conference on April 28, stating that Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae's visit will strengthen coordination and cooperation between the two countries under the framework of a comprehensive strategic partnership, elevating bilateral relations to a new height, and jointly addressing regional and global issues.
Takaichi Sanae's visit is at the invitation of Vietnam's "Japan expert," Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng, who graduated from Saitama University's graduate school. This marks Takaichi Sanae's second visit to Vietnam, with her first visit occurring in 2020 when she served as Japan's Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications.
Ito Naoki pointed out that it has almost become a custom for Japanese Prime Ministers to visit Vietnam within one year of taking office, highlighting Japan's consistent emphasis on its relationship with Vietnam.
He revealed that a major highlight of this visit will be Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae's policy speech on the "Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy" at Vietnam National University (VNU-Hanoi), which will also be the first policy speech by a Japanese Prime Minister in Vietnam since 2020.
The vision of a "Free and Open Indo-Pacific" (FOIP) was first proposed by the late Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo 10 years ago, with its core idea being that the Indo-Pacific region would become the center of global growth. However, over the past decade, with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and technological revolution, the increasing status of Global South countries, and the growing complexity of geopolitical situations, the global landscape has undergone significant changes.
Ito Naoki noted that Takaichi Sanae firmly believes that the Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy must evolve with the times to respond to changing eras. Economic security, in particular, has become a focus for many countries, thus building a "resilient supply chain" has become an urgent task.
He said, "To realize and further develop the Free and Open Indo-Pacific Initiative, strengthening cooperation with Vietnam, a rapidly growing Southeast Asian country with increasing international status, is crucial. Therefore, Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae's choice of Vietnam as the location for this speech is profoundly meaningful."
Japan hopes to coordinate and cooperate with Vietnam to create a peaceful and stable international environment. The Japanese side revealed that Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae had a phone call with General Secretary and President of the Communist Party of Vietnam Tô Lâm on April 13, confirming that in the increasingly severe regional strategic environment, Japan will continue to further strengthen its relations with Vietnam, a country pursuing "strategic autonomy."
The Japanese Ambassador stated that the four major strategic priorities of this visit are innovation and science and technology, energy security and strategic infrastructure, diplomatic defense security and regional peace, and human and cultural exchange. Japan will leverage its strengths to "contribute to Vietnam's new growth model."
Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Phạm Quang Hiếu, in an exclusive interview with Vietnamese media, stated that Prime Minister Takaichi chose Vietnam as the first stop in her Southeast Asia trip less than three months after her victory in the February parliamentary elections, highlighting Vietnam's growing strategic importance in Japan's regional policy.
He did not mention the "Indo-Pacific Strategy," but emphasized the economic complementarity between the two countries, and technological cooperation as a new pillar of Japan-Vietnam relations, including areas such as digital transformation, green transformation, innovation, artificial intelligence, and workforce training.
He reiterated that the two countries elevated their relationship to a "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World" in November 2023, and will jointly work towards regional peace. This visit shows that the relations between the two countries are entering a new stage of development. (Edited by Chen Hui-ping) 1150429
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(Hanoi, Reporter Tseng Ting-hsuan, April 29) Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae will visit Vietnam from May 1st to 3rd. Japan's Ambassador to Vietnam, Ito Naoki, stated that Takaichi Sanae will deliver a speech at Hanoi University on the "Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy," hoping that both sides, leveraging Vietnam's "strategic autonomy," will achieve new cooperation in the Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy, regional peace, and economic security.
Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam, Ito Naoki, held a press conference on April 28, stating that Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae's visit will strengthen coordination and cooperation between the two countries under the framework of a comprehensive strategic partnership, elevating bilateral relations to a new height, and jointly addressing regional and global issues.
Takaichi Sanae's visit is at the invitation of Vietnam's "Japan expert," Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng, who graduated from Saitama University's graduate school. This marks Takaichi Sanae's second visit to Vietnam, with her first visit occurring in 2020 when she served as Japan's Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications.
Ito Naoki pointed out that it has almost become a custom for Japanese Prime Ministers to visit Vietnam within one year of taking office, highlighting Japan's consistent emphasis on its relationship with Vietnam.
He revealed that a major highlight of this visit will be Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae's policy speech on the "Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy" at Vietnam National University (VNU-Hanoi), which will also be the first policy speech by a Japanese Prime Minister in Vietnam since 2020.
The vision of a "Free and Open Indo-Pacific" (FOIP) was first proposed by the late Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo 10 years ago, with its core idea being that the Indo-Pacific region would become the center of global growth. However, over the past decade, with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and technological revolution, the increasing status of Global South countries, and the growing complexity of geopolitical situations, the global landscape has undergone significant changes.
Ito Naoki noted that Takaichi Sanae firmly believes that the Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy must evolve with the times to respond to changing eras. Economic security, in particular, has become a focus for many countries, thus building a "resilient supply chain" has become an urgent task.
He said, "To realize and further develop the Free and Open Indo-Pacific Initiative, strengthening cooperation with Vietnam, a rapidly growing Southeast Asian country with increasing international status, is crucial. Therefore, Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae's choice of Vietnam as the location for this speech is profoundly meaningful."
Japan hopes to coordinate and cooperate with Vietnam to create a peaceful and stable international environment. The Japanese side revealed that Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae had a phone call with General Secretary and President of the Communist Party of Vietnam Tô Lâm on April 13, confirming that in the increasingly severe regional strategic environment, Japan will continue to further strengthen its relations with Vietnam, a country pursuing "strategic autonomy."
The Japanese Ambassador stated that the four major strategic priorities of this visit are innovation and science and technology, energy security and strategic infrastructure, diplomatic defense security and regional peace, and human and cultural exchange. Japan will leverage its strengths to "contribute to Vietnam's new growth model."
Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Phạm Quang Hiếu, in an exclusive interview with Vietnamese media, stated that Prime Minister Takaichi chose Vietnam as the first stop in her Southeast Asia trip less than three months after her victory in the February parliamentary elections, highlighting Vietnam's growing strategic importance in Japan's regional policy.
He did not mention the "Indo-Pacific Strategy," but emphasized the economic complementarity between the two countries, and technological cooperation as a new pillar of Japan-Vietnam relations, including areas such as digital transformation, green transformation, innovation, artificial intelligence, and workforce training.
He reiterated that the two countries elevated their relationship to a "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World" in November 2023, and will jointly work towards regional peace. This visit shows that the relations between the two countries are entering a new stage of development. (Edited by Chen Hui-ping) 1150429
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Download the Central News Agency "First-hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and audio/video on this website may not be reproduced, broadcast, transmitted, or used without authorization.