JAPAN AND VIETNAM AIM FOR STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 005458

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/04/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV VM JA
SUBJECT: JAPAN AND VIETNAM AIM FOR STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

REF: TOKYO 5343

TOKYO 00005458 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer per 1.4 (b/d)

Summary
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1. (C) Vietnam President Nguyen Minh Triet's November 25-29
state visit to Japan was aimed at developing the two
countries' "strategic partnership," with a strong focus on
assisting infrastructure development, improving Vietnam's
investment environment, raising bilateral trade and expanding
political and diplomatic cooperation. In particular, with an
eye to Vietnam's 2008 tenure as a non-permanent member of the
UNSC, PM Fukuda sought and won President Triet's support for
Japan's permanent UNSC membership and for North Korean
denuclearization. However, Triet demurred on the issue of
Burma, saying he does not support sanctions against the
Burmese regime. End Summary.

Seeking a "Strategic Partnership"
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2. (C) Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet visited Japan
November 25-29 for the first-ever state visit by a Vietnamese
leader. He was joined by Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung
Hai, Minister of Industry Vu Huy Hoang, Investment and
Economic Planning Minister Vo Hong Phuc, Science and
Technology Minister Hoang Van Phong and 130 business people.
In addition to meetings with Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and
Foreign Minister Masahiko Koumura, Triet also participated in
a welcome ceremony and state banquet with Emperor Akihito.
Meeting for approximately one hour on November 27, PM Fukuda
described Japan-Vietnam relations as the best they have ever
been, but nonetheless called for relations to improve even
further by becoming "strategic partners," MOFA Southeast Asia
Division I Deputy Director Atsushi Kuwabara told EMBASSY
Tokyo. Both sides agreed to arrange the visits to Japan next
year of National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong and
Communist Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh. PM Fukuda
also pledged to visit Vietnam at an "appropriately early
time."


3. (C) Kuwabara noted that the visit's trade mission inked
contracts for some 25 projects worth USD 4.5 billion, and PM
Fukuda called for the two sides to initiate Phase 3 of the
Japan-Vietnam Joint Initiative, which seeks to improve the
investment climate in Vietnam for Japanese and other
enterprises. President Triet described Japan as "Vietnam's
greatest economic partner," and agreed with PM Fukuda that
the two countries should "soon" reach an Economic Partnership
Agreement.


4. (C) PM Fukuda offered his condolences for the recent Can
Tho bridge construction accident (in which a bridge being
constructed by Japanese companies with Japanese ODA
collapsed, killing 52 Vietnamese workers),pledging to get to
the bottom of the accident and to take steps to prevent its
recurrence. The PM also raised Japan's commitment to expand
aid to Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, and to support Vietnam's
North-South High-speed Rail Project, North-South Highway
Project and Hoa Lac High Tech Park (pledges the PM also made
to Vietnam PM Nguyen Tan Dzung in Singapore (reftel)). Triet
stressed that the Can Tho accident should not negatively
affect bilateral relations, and that the bridge, once
completed, should be a symbol of cooperative ties.

UN, North Korea and Burma
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5. (C) Looking ahead to Vietnam's nonpermanent membership on
the UN Security Council next year, PM Fukuda called on
greater Japan-Vietnam cooperation at the UN and regarding
issues such as North Korea, Burma, climate change and the
environment, and energy security. President Triet expressed
his support for Vietnam's permanent UNSC membership, as well
as North Korea's denuclearization and Japan's "concerns" in
this area. Triet also expressed concern about the situation
in Burma, but said that he does not support economic
sanctions. Triet also expressed his hope for greater
cooperation in combating terrorism and transnational crime,
Kuwabara reported.

"Japan's future in Southeast Asia"
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6. (C) Representative Masaaki Taira, Diet Member and Deputy
Secretary General of the Japan-Vietnam Friendship League,

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said that Triet's visit took place in a "festive atmosphere."
"There are few countries that Japan is more interested in
than Vietnam," Taira said. Most Japanese are very well
disposed to Vietnam for historical and cultural reasons, and
the Vietnamese have warmly welcomed Japanese trade, aid and
assistance. Although Taira is a self-acknowledged "China
person," he sees Vietnam as "Japan's future in Southeast
Asia" and hopes that grassroots and other ties can be
expanded.

"Strong Vietnamese Support for Japan's Diplomacy"
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7. (C) Waseda University Professor of Economics Tran Van Tho,
one of the few Vietnamese nationals with full tenure at a
major Japanese university, observed that Triet's visit should
be seen in the context of Vietnam's attempt to strike a
balance between and among the United States, the EU, China
and Japan with its high-level visit diplomacy. Particularly
striking about Japan-Vietnam relationship, Tran continued, is
the extent to which Vietnam is willing to support Japan's
diplomatic initiatives around the world, from UN Security
Council reform to other, more minor projects. "Perhaps no
other country is as willing as Vietnam is to speak up for and
support Japan," Tho opined.
SCHIEFFER