Vietnam and Japan have signed six cooperation agreements covering climate resilience, low-carbon growth, digital transformation and space data, as the two countries move to expand collaboration in green transition, artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors and workforce development.

The documents were exchanged in Hanoi on 2 May during Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae’s official visit to Vietnam from 1 to 3 May, in the presence of Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and his Japanese counterpart.

The agreements include two loan deals between the Vietnamese government and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA): one for disaster-resilient rural development and another for climate-resilient infrastructure to support production for ethnic communities in northern mountainous provinces.

The two sides also reached an agreement on low-carbon growth under the Joint Credit Mechanism, an MoU on hydraulic technology and technical exchanges, an MoU on information technology, communications and digital transformation, and an agreement on satellite data exchange between the Vietnam National Space Centre and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

Beyond the signed documents, both governments agreed to work toward Japanese investment in Vietnam of $5bn annually in the near term and to lift bilateral trade to $60bn by 2030.

They also pledged to encourage more Japanese investment in high-tech projects involving technology transfer, support Vietnamese companies investing in Japan, and facilitate market access for agricultural products.

In a speech at Vietnam National University in Hanoi, Takaichi said the partnership is increasingly centred on advanced industries and strategic resilience.

“Our cooperation in advanced technology is not limited to outer space,” she said, highlighting semiconductors, AI and rare earth supply chains as priority areas.

She said Vietnam’s manufacturing sector has become “an indispensable supplier to the global market,” noting that its links with Japanese industry are deepening.

Referring to talent development, Takaichi added that Vietnam-Japan University is expected to become “a hub for nurturing and supplying talented individuals” for both countries and the wider Indo-Pacific, starting with semiconductors.

The Japanese leader also stressed broader regional cooperation under Japan’s updated Free and Open Indo-Pacific strategy, with focus areas including “economic infrastructure for the age of AI and data,” stronger supply chains, and digital connectivity.