TOKYO, November 9: Viet Nam’s top leader To Lam, General Secretary of the Communist Party and President of Viet Nam, is in Japan for an official visit from November 8 to 11, his first official visit to Japan in his current posts. He is due to call on Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako and to hold talks with Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae, days after Viet Nam’s National Assembly set a growth goal of at least 10% for 2027.
Key highlights
- Dates: November 8–11, 2026, according to Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- Programme: a State Call on the Emperor and Empress with a Court Luncheon, a meeting with Prime Minister Takaichi, meetings with the presidents of both houses of Japan’s parliament, and a Viet Nam–Japan public-private forum on the economy and science and technology.
- Focus: security, the economy and economic security, under the two countries’ Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
- Back home: lawmakers adopted a 2027 plan with a growth goal of at least 10%.
- Trade milestone: Viet Nam’s total trade topped US$1 trillion in January–October 2026 for the first time.
What is on the agenda
Japan’s foreign ministry said the visit would be “a very meaningful opportunity for the two countries to further strengthen cooperation in areas including security, as well as economic and economic security matters, under the ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World’”. Mr To Lam’s spouse, Ngo Phuong Ly, is accompanying him.
Viet Nam’s Permanent Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Vu set out three aims, according to the Vietnamese government’s news portal: agreeing long-term directions and priority areas for cooperation; moving beyond trade and investment towards closer links between the two economies that strengthen each side’s economic autonomy and resilience; and seeking breakthroughs in science, technology and innovation. He said Japanese companies in high-tech sectors, particularly artificial intelligence, are expanding in Viet Nam, and that energy and green-transition projects under the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) are moving ahead.
Besides the official meetings, the Vietnamese leader is expected to meet heads of Japanese business organisations and major companies and visit a Japanese high-tech company. Prime Minister Takaichi visited Viet Nam in May this year.
Viet Nam’s economy in numbers
| Indicator (January–October 2026) | Value | Change on a year earlier |
|---|---|---|
| Total trade | US$1.01 trillion | +32.3% |
| Exports | US$499 billion | +27.4% |
| Registered foreign direct investment | US$50.36 billion | +76.4% |
| Disbursed foreign direct investment | US$21.07 billion | +12.1% |
The 2027 socio-economic plan adopted by the National Assembly sets “a growth goal of at least 10 percent” together with macroeconomic stability and inflation control. It also aims for breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation and digital transformation. The government portal says Viet Nam officially joined the upper-middle-income group in July 2026.
Our calculation
- Because total trade grew faster (32.3%) than exports (27.4%), imports must have grown by more than 32.3% in January–October, a sign of strong demand for machinery and components for Viet Nam’s factories.
- Registered FDI (US$50.36 billion) was about 2.4 times the amount actually disbursed (US$21.07 billion), so a large pipeline of committed investment is still to arrive.
What it means for India and Asia
- Supply-chain competition: Viet Nam and India are both courting Japanese manufacturers seeking to spread production across Asia. Deeper Japan–Viet Nam links in electronics, semiconductors and AI raise the bar for India’s own pitch.
- Regional security: both Japan and Viet Nam have maritime interests in the South China Sea, and security cooperation is on the agenda.
- Growth ambition: a 10% growth goal would make Viet Nam one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia if achieved, though inflation was 5.09% in October.
What to watch
- The outcome documents from the To Lam–Takaichi summit, including any upgrade in the partnership or new economic-security agreements.
- Announcements at the Viet Nam–Japan public-private forum on investment in technology and energy.
- Viet Nam’s November trade and inflation data, due early next month.
Related: Vietnam’s inflation rises to 5.09% in October
To Lam at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi, July 30, 2024 (file photo) Image: Minh Hoang / European Communities, 2024 / EC – Audiovisual Service, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Photo source · Licence
Sources
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan: Visit to Japan by H.E. Mr. To Lam, General Secretary of the Communist Party and President of Viet Nam (October 23, 2026)
- Government of Viet Nam news portal: To Lam starts four-day official visit to Japan
- Government of Viet Nam news portal: Three key strategic significances of To Lam’s official visit to Japan
- Government of Viet Nam news portal: Lawmakers adopt socio-economic development plan for 2027
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan: Japan–Viet Nam relations
The International Desk covers world and Asian affairs, diplomacy and conflict, with a focus on what they mean for India. Stories are checked against at least two credible sources before publication.
