On Monday, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc played host to the Japanese Deputy Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Mr Tsutomu Tomioka, in Ha Noi.  Also present at the reception were Da Nang People’s Committee Chairman Huynh Duc Tho and some representatives from the leading IT businesses in Viet Nam.

Chairman Tho speaking at the event

Prime Minister Phuc said he would like Japan to introduce Viet Nam to those advanced technologies which it has successfully applied in cancer treatment over recent years.  The Vietnamese ministries of Science and Technology, and Health will work closely with their Japanese partners to promote bilateral cooperation in this respect.

The Prime Minister also took the opportunity to ask Japan to help Da Nang develop its hi-tech park project whose design is similar to the Hoa Lac Hi-tech Park in Ha Noi.

He also emphasised that Da Nang will host the 25^th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in October 2017.  This annual international-level event is a forum for 21 Pacific Rim member economies, including Japan, to promote free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region.   He, therefore, hoped that the APEC 2017 would provide a good opportunity for the 2 countries to bolster their bilateral cooperation.

Addressing the reception, Chairman Tho spoke highly of the fruitful relationships between his city and Japan over recent years.

He also affirmed that Da Nang has been giving top priority to developing its IT and hi-tech industries, with a focus on training high-quality human resources who have Japanese language skills and IT proficiency in order to meet the recruitment requirements of Japanese businesses based in the city.

The city leader also vowed that the best possible favourable conditions would be created for Japanese businesses to operate effectively in the city in the years ahead.

In reply, Deputy Minister Tomioka suggested that the 2 countries should promote their bilateral cooperation in such aspects as space technology, supercomputer development, and the application of heavy-ion therapy in cancer treatment.

He also stressed the need for Viet Nam to train high-quality human resources to conduct the effective application of heavy-ion therapy in cancer treatment, and affirmed that Japan is willing to lift their scientific and technological cooperation to new heights in the years ahead.

The Japanese guest also expressed his hope that Da Nang would become one of Viet Nam’s most attractive destinations for Japanese investors, which in turn will help to strengthen the bilateral relationship between the 2 countries in the future.