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Yomiuri Shimbun
3 days ago
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Ishiba, Trump Exchange Views on Tariffs over Phone
AP file photo Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks during a meeting at the Government Office in Hanoi on April 28. TOKYO (Reuters) — Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said that he exchanged views on tariff issues with U.S. President Donald Trump by phone on Thursday. Ishiba also said the talks were 'meaningful' as the two leaders further deepened their understanding of each other's views. This was their second call this month, following one on May 23, as a fourth round of tariff negotiations between the two nations is set to take place.
The Star
16-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Vietnam-Thailand ties among most important strategic partnerships in region: scholar
Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (right) and Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra posing for photos at the Government Office in Hanoi on May 16, 2025. - AFP BANGKOK: Thailand and Vietnam have an excellent relationship that is gradually becoming one of South-East Asia's most important strategic partnerships, said Thai scholar Kavi Chongkittavorn. Speaking to Vietnam News Agency correspondents in Bangkok on the official visit of Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to Vietnam from May 15 to 16, Kavi affirmed that the visit is of significance as it takes place at a time when the international order is being affected by increasing geopolitical tensions and trade conflicts. According to the senior fellow, both countries can work closely together to promote multilateral trade and enhance good rules-based practices covering economic, political, security and socio-cultural fields. Thailand and Vietnam are two major trade partners, both bilaterally and within Asean, and they are working to raise bilateral trade from US$20 billion to $25 billion per year. Kavi also said the two countries, as well as other Asean members, are accelerating efforts to turn Asean into a regional bloc that promotes peace and stability, not only in the region, but also across a world that is currently facing a future of uncertainties. Mentioning the Thai Cabinet's recent approval of 30 projects worth 16.4 billion THB ($498 million) in the Northeast (Isaan) region, which is home to a large Vietnamese-Thai community, he said that these investments will have long-term positive impacts on cross-border trade and promote connectivity between the two countries. The scholar held that Thailand and Vietnam are among the strongest advocates for Asean's centrality and solidarity, especially in trade negotiations. One of the agendas is to ensure that Asean is a driving force in multilateral trade and the international rules-based order. This is a very important point in the context of Asean being subject to the current tariffs, he added, with both countries strongly supporting the call by Malaysia, as Asean Chair, that Asean must have a common position in tariff negotiations with the US. Kavi emphasised that Thailand and Vietnam enjoy a dynamic bilateral trade relationship, and they are also the region's two largest exporters to Europe. Therefore, the two countries need to diversify their investment and trade portfolios while continuing to invest and strengthen relations in the digital economy. Vietnam's determination to strengthen ties with other trading partners such as the European Union (EU) and Japan shows its long-term vision in the face of the rise of protectionist policies and higher tariffs, he said. Kavi suggested that within the framework of Asean, Thailand and Vietnam should onsult each other on the regional economic and political reality, because these two issues are increasingly linked to each other. - Vietnam News/ANN
Asahi Shimbun
28-04-2025
- Business
- Asahi Shimbun
Ishiba, Vietnam's Chinh agree to uphold free trade system
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, left, and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the Government Office in Hanoi on April 28 (AP Photo/ Pool) HANOI—Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on April 28 agreed to maintain a free trade regime in the face of tariffs imposed by the U.S. Trump administration. Ishiba is currently on a tour of Southeast Asia to discuss the current state of trade, defense and disaster prevention. Both Ishiba and Chinh affirmed their commitment to cooperate in the international community by contributing to the maintenance and strengthening of a free and open international order based on the rule of law. They also reached a general agreement on the initial application of Japan's official security assistance (OSA), including Japan's provision of defense and other equipment free of charge to Vietnam. Ishiba said Japan will actively consider specific requests from Vietnam. These decisions underscore the countries' concerns about China's increasing military action in the South China Sea. Also in the area of security, Ishiba and Chinh agreed to establish a 'two-plus-two' framework, with the first meeting of foreign and defense vice ministers to be held in Japan by the end of this year. The two countries also intend to promote and strengthen cooperation in the field of disaster prevention, including countermeasures against floods and landslides in rural areas of northern Vietnam. In the field of agriculture, the two countries will formulate a medium- to long-term vision for cooperation this year. Additionally, they plan to promote digitization and decarbonization to create an agriculture system that will ensure food security in both countries. Ishiba arrived in Vietnam on April 27. After visiting Canon Vietnam Co. in the Thang Long Industrial Park in northern Hanoi, he met with To Lam, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Ishiba is scheduled to fly to the Philippines on April 29. He aims to deepen Japan's economic and security ties with Southeast Asian nations during his tour as the Trump administration's involvement in the region grows increasingly uncertain.
Japan Today
28-04-2025
- Business
- Japan Today
Japan, Vietnam to launch foreign, defense dialogue framework
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, second right, and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, second left, attend a meeting at the Government Office in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Monday. The leaders of Japan and Vietnam agreed Monday to establish a vice-ministerial-level foreign affairs and defense dialogue framework and work toward defense equipment and technology collaboration as they face China's increasing military presence. In a joint press release issued after talks in Hanoi, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh also pledged to maintain and enhance multilateral free trade in an apparent response to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff moves. The two nations affirmed that they will hold the first meeting of their vice-ministerial "two-plus-two" security dialogue, designed to strengthen their "strategic communication," this year in Japan, the outcome document said. With Japan inclined to add Vietnam to a list of eligible defense equipment recipients under a program aimed at helping like-minded countries to boost their security capabilities, Hanoi will seek aid as needed, it said. The move could make Vietnam the fourth recipient of Japan's Official Security Assistance scheme, which started in 2023, among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations following the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia. "As an invaluable partner of Vietnam, Japan will walk together with Vietnam into a new era," Ishiba said at a joint press appearance with Chinh after the talks, adding that the two had "constructive discussions" on the Official Security Assistance issue. Children wave the flags of Vietnam and Japan ahead of a welcome ceremony for Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Monday. Image: Luong Thai Linh/Pool via AP At the outset of the meeting, Chinh told Ishiba that his visit is "very meaningful" not only for Vietnam-Japan relations but also for the "peace and stability of this region and the world." The two nations also agreed to collaborate on beefing up Vietnam's maritime security capabilities. On the economic front, Ishiba and Chinh confirmed their nations will explore the possibility of cooperation in fields including semiconductors, artificial intelligence and quantum technologies, while promoting decarbonization and digitalization efforts, the press release said. Japan has been ramping up security ties with ASEAN states in recent years as China intensifies its military activities in the resource-rich South China Sea, home to one of the world's busiest maritime sea lanes. Vietnam and other ASEAN members like the Philippines have overlapping claims with China in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost in full. Japan's Official Security Assistance program helps developing countries strengthen their defense capabilities in areas such as maritime and aerial surveillance, disaster response and humanitarian assistance, by providing patrol and rescue boats and monitoring radars among other support. China has been deepening economic ties with many ASEAN members such as through its signature Belt and Road infrastructure initiative, with President Xi Jinping visiting Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia earlier this month. The summit meeting took place at a time when the global landscape appears increasingly uncertain in the wake of Trump's rapidly changing tariff policies and the escalating trade war between the United States and China, the world's two largest economies. U.S. "reciprocal tariffs," or country-specific duties, were set at 46 percent for Vietnam and 24 percent for Japan, although the levies have been partly suspended. Ishiba said at the press appearance that Japan will "earnestly listen" to Vietnam on the matter. The Japanese prime minister arrived in Vietnam on Sunday, his third visit to Southeast Asia since taking office in October. Later Monday, Ishiba will also meet with Vietnamese President Luong Cuong and Tran Thanh Man, chairman of the National Assembly, respectively. Ishiba will leave for the Philippines on Tuesday morning for talks with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. before returning to Japan on Wednesday. © KYODO
The Star
28-04-2025
- Business
- The Star
Japan, Vietnam pledge to support free trade as PM Ishiba visits Hanoi
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, (front right), and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (front left) walking at the Government Office in Hanoi on April 28, 2025. - AP HANOI: Japan and Vietnam agreed to boost bilateral trade and uphold global rules on the free flow of goods as Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba met Vietnamese leaders in Hanoi while both countries engage in talks with Washington to avoid tariffs. Ishiba's first trip to Vietnam, and his subsequent visit on Tuesday to the Philippines, mark the latest high-level East Asian meetings amid escalating global uncertainty triggered by the threat of crippling US tariffs. "The world economy is becoming more uncertain, and the impact on the South-East Asian region is also becoming apparent," Ishiba told reporters on Monday (April 28) after a meeting with Vietnam's Prime Minister Chinh. In recent weeks, Vietnam has hosted China's President Xi Jinping and top South Korean ministers, while Tokyo has held a trilateral meeting with China and South Korea. Early in April, the White House slapped "bilateral tariffs" of 46% on Vietnam and 24% on Japan. Those duties were later paused until July as bilateral talks are underway, but a 10% levy applies on all imports into the United States, which is a major market for both countries. "We will cooperate to maintain a free and open international order based on the rule of law," Ishiba added in a joint press conference with Chinh where journalists' questions were not allowed. Vietnam is a major assembling hub for large Japanese manufacturers, including Honda, Canon and Panasonic, with a total of US$78 billion invested in the South-East Asian country by Japanese firms, according to Vietnam's finance ministry. Japanese banks also hold strategic stakes in top Vietnamese lenders. "The two countries agreed to uphold the global order of free trade based on international rules," Chinh said, after the two leaders signed four cooperation agreements, including on boosting trade in energy transition products and on research and development on semiconductors. The content of the agreements was not disclosed and Reuters could not establish whether they entailed any binding or financial commitment. Vietnam's top leader To Lam urged Japan to increase investment in infrastructure projects after he met Ishiba on Sunday, according to a report on Vietnam government's portal. Japan has been involved in preliminary studies for the future construction of a high-speed railway connecting Hanoi to the southern business hub of Ho Chi Minh City, which with an estimated cost of $67 billion is Vietnam's most ambitious infrastructure project. Leaders, however, did not explicitly mention railways among fields of cooperation. Vietnam has said it plans to finance the project largely on its own. - Reuters
