Relationship dossier
Japan
Vietnam
Relationship assessment
Japan and Vietnam have a broad partnership in development, economic affairs and security.
Japan toward Vietnam
+70Japan has provided substantial official development assistance and infrastructure support to Vietnam. The Japanese government has also expanded defense cooperation, including an agreement on the transfer of defense equipment and technology, and elevated the bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Vietnam toward Japan
+60Vietnam has pursued expanded bilateral cooperation with Japan, including through the 2009 Economic Partnership Agreement and the 2023 elevation of ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Vietnam has also engaged Japan in defense cooperation, including an agreement on the transfer of defense equipment and technology.
Overall relationship
+65The relationship rests on long-running economic and development cooperation, reinforced by expanding security ties and a formal strategic partnership. These durable arrangements support a substantially cooperative assessment, although the depth and implementation of defense cooperation remain less clear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Japan and Vietnam maintain a broad, durable partnership encompassing development assistance, economic cooperation and security ties. Japan has provided substantial official development assistance and infrastructure support to Vietnam, while the governments have expanded defense cooperation and elevated their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The relationship is strongly cooperative, though the scope and implementation of some security arrangements are not fully clear.
Key developments
The Japan-Vietnam Economic Partnership Agreement entered into force.
Japan and Vietnam signed an agreement on the transfer of defense equipment and technology.
The governments elevated bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of bilateral defense cooperation arrangements are unclear.