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| Vice Chairman of the City People’s Committee Tran Huu Thuy Giang |
Vice Chairman Tran Huu Thuy Giang affirmed that the relationship between Hue City and its Japanese partners has emerged as a bright spot in local-level diplomacy, underpinned by mutual trust, respect, and a shared pursuit of development.
In recent years, Hue has established formal cooperation ties with a number of Japanese prefectures and cities. In particular, the city signed a cooperation agreement with Kyoto Prefecture in 2014, which was renewed in 2023, and subsequently signed agreements with Gifu Prefecture in 2016 and Nara Prefecture in 2025.
More recently, Hue City and Shizuoka City have agreed to continue the cooperation framework established under their previously signed agreement, while considering the continuation and enhancement of collaborative efforts with Kyoto City established since 2013.
In addition to bilateral cooperation, Hue City has actively participated in forums and promotion events hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and international partners. Prominent examples include the Trade and Investment Promotion Program in Fukuoka (2022), the Vietnam Local Promotion Program in Japan (2023), and the dispatch of a student delegation from Hue University to the Kyoto Student Festival in November 2024.
The relationship between Hue and Japan is reflected not only in investment projects but also in ODA programs and cooperation in healthcare, education, and human resource development. How have these partnerships contributed to the city’s development, sir?
ODA funding and technical assistance programs from Japan have delivered tangible results, contributing to the improvements in Hue’s urban infrastructure and the quality of local people’s lives. The city has received six major ODA projects with a total value of more than USD 500 million, including the project ‘Improving the Water Environment in Hue’ and other projects aimed at strengthening disaster preparedness and flood management capacity during the 2009-2020 period.
In the healthcare sector, the Japanese Government has funded five projects through Hue Central Hospital, worth a total of over USD 35 million. The projects have focused on upgrading infrastructure, developing human resources, and strengthening the hospital’s capacity to respond to disease outbreaks. Furthermore, Hue Central Hospital has also maintained specialized cooperation with Kyoto Miniren Hospital in hospital management, nursing, endoscopy, and rehabilitation.
In terms of education and human resource development, from 2019 to the present, Hue University and its member institutions have signed over 70 cooperation agreements with Japanese universities and organizations. Especially, through the JICA Volunteer Program, 57 volunteers have worked in Hue since 2000. The Japan Foundation’s ‘Japanese Language Partners Program’ has also sent 32 language partners to Hue. This initiative has helped expand Japanese teaching and learning, as well as diversified cultural exchange activities at high schools and universities across the city.
Another notable area of cooperation is the placement of Hue workers in Japan. Of the 2,507 Hue workers who have gone abroad to work under employment contracts, 2,055 workers, comprising over 80%, have chosen Japan as their destination to work in various sectors such as mechanical engineering, garment and textile manufacturing, information technology, and nursing.
With such a broad foundation for cooperation already in place, what further support and opportunities does Hue hope to receive from its Japanese partners, sir?
Hue City has identified five key priorities for cooperation with its Japanese partners. Tourism comes first. In 2025, Hue welcomed more than 14,000 Japanese visitors, accounting for 2.1% of the city’s total international arrivals. The city is rolling out a range of measures to stimulate tourism demand, while seeking to work with Japanese partners on tourism workforce training, joint tourism promotion programs, and Famtrip delegations. In particular, Hue is looking to promote the launch of international air routes connecting Phu Bai International Airport with major Japanese hubs such as Osaka and Fukuoka.
Secondly, the city firmly focuses on heritage and cultural preservation. Hue is seeking to strengthen cooperation in the conservation and restoration of heritage sites, with a particular focus on traditional wooden architecture. Furthermore, the city hopes to receive technical support to develop the Hue Museum of Royal Antiquities, collaborate in jointly organizing cultural and culinary exchange activities, and tap into Japanese Government assistance for heritage preservation.
The third priority will be trade, investment, and urban development. The city is seeking to attract Japanese investors to high-tech industries, information technology, biotechnology, high-tech agriculture, logistics, seaport infrastructure, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and supporting industries for the textile and garment sector. Alongside efforts to attract investment, Hue hopes its Japanese partners will share their expertise in governance and synchronized urban development, particularly in the newly merged areas.
The fourth priority is education and labor cooperation, with a focus on strengthening postgraduate training partnerships, promoting scientific research, and expanding internship and skill training programs for Hue workers in Japan.
Fifthly, Hue will further strengthen friendship with Japan through high-level delegation exchanges and people-to-people exchanges.
Against this context, what breakthroughs could the 2026 Vietnam-Japan Local Cooperation Forum in Hue bring to the cooperation orientations that the city has set?
The fact that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ decision to entrust Hue City with hosting the 2026 Vietnam-Japan Local Cooperation Forum on September 5-6, 2026, is a great honor and, at the same time, an important opportunity for the city to expand cooperation with Japanese partners.
The forum allows Hue to introduce its investment environment, as well as its cultural and tourism potential, while engaging with Japanese partners on specific areas of mutual interest, from promoting Hue’s image and the Hue International Arts Festival Week in June 2026, to expanding Japanese language education and attracting investment in infrastructure, high-tech industries and sustainable development.
We hope the forum will serve as a drive for a stronger, deeper, and more effective and comprehensive cooperation between Hue City and its Japanese partners.
Thank you, sir!