On Wednesday, Da Nang People’s Committee Chairman Huynh Duc Tho played host to a group of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), led by Mr Yoichi Kobayashi, the Chairman of JCCI's Japan-Mekong Economic Cooperation Committee.

Chairman Tho (right) playing host to Mr Yoichi Kobayashi

Currently, Japan is the city’s second largest foreign investor, with 146 projects totalling around 629 million USD. The majority of the Japanese-invested projects involve in such aspects as processing, manufacturing, construction, hi-tech and IT.

During his reception for Japanese guests, Chairman Tho remarked that, following the great success of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week (AELW) 2017, the city is now focusing on implementing its landmark campaign ‘2018: The Year of Investment Promotion’. 

In particular, Da Nang is striving to appeal for Japanese businesses involved in the construction and operation of industrial parks (IPs) to pour their money into developing the infrastructure and building factories for lease at local IPs.

The city leader added that the construction of vocational training establishments is under consideration in order to satisfy the growing demand for human resources amongst Japanese businesses operating in the city.

The host also took the opportunity to appeal for more Japanese businesses to invest in such aspects in which the two sides show a keen interest as IT, software development, hi-tech industry, services and tourism.

In reply, Mr Yoichi Kobayashi briefed the host on JCCI's Japan-Mekong Economic Cooperation Committee.  Established in 2013, this agency is in charge of strengthening economic, trade and tourism cooperation and cultural exchanges between Japan and the Mekong region countries.

Every year, workshops are jointly organised by the Japan-Mekong Economic Cooperation Committee and the Vietnamese Ministry of Planning and Investment in an attempt to introduce Viet Nam’s business environment, thereby attracting even more Japanese investment inflows into this Southeast Asian country.

In particular, the Japanese guest also revealed that many Japanese investors operating in Da Nang said they are totally pleased with the city’s exisiting investment environment and its preferential policies. He also vowed that his agency would become more actively involved in appealing for more Japanese businesses to seek investment opportunities in the city in the years ahead. 

In another meeting on the same day with Mr Nagao Narumi, the Senior Managing Director of the Kyushu Economic Federation, Chairman Tho re-affirmed the city’s preferential policies for foreign businesses to invest in the hi-tech and IT sectors.

The host also remarked that his locality boasts adequate favourable conditions in terms of technical and social infrastructure to meet the demands for doing business amongst foreign investors, including those from Japan.

In reply, Mr Nagao Narumi highly appreciated the great development potentials of some aspects in which the city is appealing for FDI inflows.   

The Japanese guest also said that his agency would learn more about the city’s existing incentive investment attraction policies.  He added the coming year will see more businesses from the Kyushu region deploy their specific projects in Da Nang.

He also noted that it is just 5 hours’ flight from Da Nang to Japan, thereby inspiring more Japanese investors to arrive in the city to seek investment opportunities here.