Japan PM Takaichi Seeks Stronger Vietnam Ties

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will meet top Vietnamese leaders in Hanoi on Saturday.

The trip is Takaichi’s first to Vietnam since becoming prime minister in October and she aims to deepen bilateral cooperation on energy security, supply chain resilience and technological innovation, according to Vietnamese state media reports.

She will meet Saturday with Prime Minister Le Minh Hung as well as top leader To Lam, the Communist Party boss who last month also became president.

Japan is Vietnam’s largest provider of official development assistance and a key investor and trading partner, with two-way trade surpassing $50 billion for the first time last year.