Japan's policy towards Vietnam and the results achieved from 1998 to present - 1

HANOI NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

Maybe you are interested!

• Japan's social insurance and some policy suggestions for Vietnam - 1
• Japan's Policy Towards Vietnam From 1998 To Present
• Lessons Learned from Japan's SME Development Policy for Vietnam
• Evaluating Vietnam's Monetary Policy Management Process
• For Vietnam's Monetary Policy Independence

PHAM THI KHANH TRANG

JAPAN'S POLICY TOWARDS VIETNAM AND ITS ACHIEVEMENTS FROM 1998 UP TO NOW

MASTER'S THESIS IN REGIONAL SCIENCE

Hanoi - 2008

INTRODUCTION

1. Urgency of the topic

Japan and Vietnam are two countries located in the East Asia region with many cultural similarities and a long history of relations. This is a good foundation for creating closeness, sympathy, and mutual understanding between the people of the two countries. Although this relationship has not always developed, and was even interrupted for a period of time due to historical reasons, since the normalization of relations in 1973, the Vietnam - Japan relationship has had significant changes in a direction that not only brings great benefits to both countries but also contributes significantly to the process of promoting peace, stability, and common prosperity in the region.

In each different historical period, Japan's foreign policy in general and its foreign policy towards Vietnam in particular has been adjusted to suit the context of each period and especially now it is demonstrating Japan's greatest effort. That is the determination to promote influence on Vietnam in particular and the region in general; to enhance its economic and political position worldwide. After the Cold War, especially in 1998, this was the year for Japan to demonstrate its leadership role in the region in resolving the Southeast Asian financial and monetary crisis; 1998 was also the year Prime Minister K. Obuchi came to power and quickly introduced specific and favorable policies towards Vietnam; This was also the year Vietnam officially joined the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the first official ASEAN Summit with three dialogue partners, China, Japan and South Korea, was held in Vietnam - a new member of ASEAN. The success of this event contributed to enhancing Vietnam's role and prestige in the region.

Japan's policy towards Vietnam not only has a direct impact on Vietnam's development, but also has a significant impact on the domestic and foreign relations of countries in the region. In fact, national strategists in this region often have to take into account the Japanese factor in most international issues as well as the interests of that country in its relations with Japan.

Through this research, the thesis hopes to contribute to providing necessary information and scientific arguments for Vietnamese policy makers towards Japan and other countries in the region, supplementing reference materials for studying Japanese policies. Therefore, the research on the topic is more practical than ever.

Based on that scientific and practical reason, I chose the topic " Japan's policy towards Vietnam and the results achieved from 1998 to present " to carry out my master's thesis.

2. Research purpose

Research on Japan's policy towards Vietnam from 1998 to present, achievements and prospects of bilateral relations in the coming time.

Analyze the main factors affecting policy adjustment; Identify the basic areas, main characteristics and nature of Japan's policy towards Vietnam.

Clarifying Vietnam's important position in Japan's regional strategy and providing suggestions for the development orientation of Vietnam relations

- Japan.

3. Research object and scope

The thesis identifies the research object as Japan's policy towards Vietnam from 1998 to present and the results achieved from policy implementation.

The scope of research for each subject includes:

Regarding Japan's policy towards Vietnam from 1998 to present: research on policy content in key areas (politics - diplomacy; economics - trade; national security and defense; culture - education).

Regarding policy implementation results: study the results achieved in policy implementation from 1998 to present and the prospects of Vietnam - Japan relations.

4. History of research topic

For a long time, Japan's policy towards Vietnam has been of interest and research to scholars, many articles and research works have appeared at home and abroad.

In the country, there have been articles published in magazines such as: "The impact of foreign policy adjustment on Vietnam - Japan relations" by author Ngo Xuan Binh ; "Some features of Vietnam - Japan relations in recent years" by Prof. Dr. Duong Phu Hiep..., typical research works such as: "Vietnam - Japan economic relations in the 1990s and prospects" by Dr. Vu Van Ha; "Vietnam - Japan relations 1951

– 1987” by author M. Shiraishi (translator: Nguyen Xuan Lien)….or research on Japan's policy towards Southeast Asia and its connections to Vietnam such as: "Japan-ASEAN relations, policy and ODA funding" by many authors, "Japan's foreign policy towards ASEAN countries from 1967 – 1989 " by author Dinh Thi Lan….

There have also been a number of research works by Japanese scholars abroad, such as: "Vietnam stands at a turning point, Advice from the

"Japanese expert" by Professor Kenichi Ohno in 2003; "Developing Vietnam - Japan relationship in the future" by Professor Tsuboi Yoshiharu - Waseda University, Japan...

However, these research works only focus on analyzing the economic relationship between Vietnam and Japan, proposing measures and policies to attract Japanese investment, or the diplomatic relations between the two countries. There has not been any work that has deeply researched Japan's policies towards Vietnam, especially in the period from 1998 to present.

Based on the research results of those works, the thesis focuses on studying Japan's policies towards Vietnam, thereby presenting the results achieved in implementing these policies in recent times and the development prospects of this pair of relationships.

5. Sources of materials and research methods

5.1. Sources of information

Documents used in the thesis include:

Research works, scientific reports, press articles by domestic and foreign researchers and commentators on history, foreign policy, and relations between Japan and Vietnam in Vietnamese (including documents translated from many languages), English, and Japanese.

Documents of the Communist Party of Vietnam

Official documents of agreements signed between two countries

Statistical data sources from Japanese and Vietnamese government sources

Male .

5.2. Research methods

To solve the proposed research tasks, the thesis will apply

using the methodology of dialectical materialism and idealism

Historical material of Marxism - Leninism. Common methods used in political - economic - social research are the systematic method, statistical method, analysis - synthesis method, comparative method, logic, and other empirical research methods.

The thesis also inherits the research results of scientific works related to some contents of the topic. The thesis collects, synthesizes and analyzes necessary domestic and foreign documents.

6. Structure of the thesis.

In addition to the cover page, table of contents, list of tables, figures and abbreviations, introduction and conclusion, list of references and appendices, the thesis is divided into 3 chapters as follows:

Chapter 1: Japan's policy towards the region before 1998. This chapter consists of two major contents. One focuses on analyzing the domestic and regional contexts that affect Japan's foreign policy. The other focuses on studying the content of Japan's policy towards the region before 1998.

Chapter 2: Japan's policy towards Vietnam from 1998 to present . This chapter consists of three major contents. One is to analyze the Japanese factor, the Vietnamese factor and the regional factor affecting Japan's policy adjustment towards Vietnam from 1998 to present. Two is to analyze the diplomatic doctrines that are the basis for Japan's policy adjustment towards Vietnam from 1998 to present. Three is to study the policy content in many main areas.

Chapter 3: Results of policy implementation and prospects for Vietnam - Japan relations. This chapter includes two major contents. One is to analyze and evaluate the results achieved in implementing Japan's policy towards

with Vietnam from 1998 to present. Second, forecast the prospects of Vietnam - Japan relations in the coming time.

Because the research topic is highly topical and equally complex, the source of documents is rich but still needs to be supplemented and updated, with limited time and the limited understanding and experience of the writer, the thesis is inevitably flawed. We look forward to receiving guidance and comments from teachers.

Chapter 1‌‌

JAPAN'S POLICY TOWARDS THE REGION BEFORE 1998

1.1. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

1.1.1. International and regional context

The Asia-Pacific region is a large area that concentrates most of the countries on both sides of the world's largest ocean, an area with many intertwined interests and complex relationships between major countries such as the US, China, Japan, Russia... and those countries with the ASEAN region. It is a region with cultural, religious, political and economic diversity and different levels of economic development. This region has both Catholicism and Protestantism, mainly concentrated in the US, Australia, Russia... Buddhism and Confucianism are mainly in China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam... Islam is mainly in Indonesia, Malaysia... This region is also where most of the ancient civilizations such as India and China are concentrated. Therefore, it can be said that this region is the intersection of two Eastern and Western cultures. In terms of political institutions, the Asia-Pacific region includes many very different and diverse political institutions such as capitalism in the US, Singapore, Canada, constitutional monarchy in Thailand, socialism in China, Vietnam. These factors are closely related to each other and directly affect the domestic and foreign policies of each country as well as the relationships between those countries in the region.

Asia-Pacific is a region with high growth and dynamic development, but there is a large difference in development levels. Besides the United States and Japan with a strongly developed industrial economy, there are also newly industrialized economies such as Korea, Singapore, and countries with developing economies such as Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam.