A high-ranking official delegation of Aichi Prefecture (Japan) recently paid a working visit to Vietnam and met with the Vietnamese Ministry of Planning and Investment. On this occasion, Vietnam Business Forum has an interview with H.E. Hideaki Ohmura, Governor of Aichi Prefecture, to learn about opportunities of potential cooperation with Aichi. Anh Phuong reports.
In March 2008, Japanese Aichi Prefecture and the Vietnamese Ministry of Planning and Investment signed a memorandum of understanding on investment and trade cooperation. And in 2009, to further support Aichi companies to expand business to Vietnam, the ministry established the Aichi Support Desh with the aim of organising meetings for Aichi businesses to meet and exchange information and experience with Vietnam and put forth solutions to cope with problems and difficulties.
The official visit is accompanied by almost 50 business representatives in Aichi Prefecture, said Mr Hideaki Ohmura.
How do you assess the relationship between investors from Aichi Prefecture, and Japan in general, with Vietnam?
It is certain that Japan is an early investor in Vietnam and is always ranked the top investor here. As of November 2011, Japan had 1,636 effective direct investment projects with a total registered capital of US$23.38 billion, ranking fourth among countries and regions investing in Vietnam. While investing in Vietnam, Japanese investors are always appreciated for effective capital deployment and best employee treatment policies.
Particularly, Aichi Prefecture now has 107 companies investing in Vietnam. Most of them are operating actively and effectively on national scale.
On the Vietnam side, we know that Vietnam’s population is in the region of 85 million people and it is of golden structure featured by a growing percentage of people at working age. Meanwhile, Japan is falling short of manpower in most industrial and service sectors. Therefore, in the future, Vietnam and Japan will have more cooperation in manpower supply.
Could you tell us the advantages of Aichi Prefecture? And, what fields do Aichi businesses wish to cooperate with Vietnam?
Currently, Aichi is considered one of a few Japanese prefectures and cities to gather many leading Japanese businesses and an engine of economic development. In particular, Aichi Prefecture is an industrial centre of Japan where Nagoya City’s GDP accounts for 1 percent of global GDP.
Also, Aichi Prefecture is also very strong at industry. Especially, its automotive industry accounts for more than 40 percent of Japan’s output. To support this sector, Aichi has a lot of small and medium enterprises engaged in manufacturing automotive components and parts. Besides, Aichi is robustly developing the aviation industry, manufactures small aircraft applied with modern advanced technologies in the world and produces airplane components and equipment. At present, 35 percent of Boeing 787 aircraft components and equipment are manufactured in Aichi. In addition, Aichi Prefecture researches and manufactures mid-sized Mitsubishi aircraft for domestic transportation service and for export.
These are the fields Aichi businesses can cooperate. Besides, healthcare and human resource fields are of Aichi Prefecture’s interests.
Could you please talk about the results of this working visit?
Most recently, Aichi signed an agreement on health with Vietnam.
In addition, to further promote trade relations between Aichi Prefecture with Vietnamese industries and localities, we also wish to have more flights from Aichi to Vietnam and vice versa. Thus, during this visit, the delegation also planned to work with Vietnam Airlines on this matter.
Mr Dang Huy Dong, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment
Aichi is one of a few Japanese prefectures and cities with very early and effective cooperation with Vietnam. In the coming time, the orientation for cooperation in supporting industrial sectors needs to be seriously considered by the governments of the two nations because this is the greatest strength in Vietnam’s and Japan’s investment and trade cooperation. However, the Japanese side also encounters some difficulties in Vietnam because of insufficient railway systems, incomplete highways and inadequate electricity. The Japanese side has proposed that Japanese companies be capable of building roads and electric infrastructures for Vietnam. Therefore, in the long term, the two countries should have appropriate considerations to promote and strengthen the bilateral ties to new highs.
Mr Shinji Iwamura, Chairman of Aichi Prefecture People's Council (Japan)
Aichi is seen as a major economic and political centre in Japan; thus, the prefecture has hugely favourable conditions to boost investment and trade cooperation with Vietnamese partners, especially in strong fields like automobile and aircraft equipment and parts production.
Besides, many Vietnamese students are studying and researching in Aichi Prefecture. When these students return to Vietnam, they establish former Aichi student communities. This demonstrates good relationships between Vietnamese students and Aichi people.
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