As part of a series of activities to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic relations, on September 20, the workshop “History, culture and cultural diplomacy – the vitality of Vietnam-Japan relations in the new international and regional context” was held at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities.
Attending the event were Mr. Saita Yukio (Counselor of the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam), Mr. Inami Kazumi (Director of the Cultural Exchange Center, Japan Foundation). The conference also attracted the participation of many scientists from Vietnam, Japan, Singapore, including many famous scientists such as Prof. Phan Huy Le (Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Historical Sciences), Prof. Furuta Motoo (University of Tokyo), Prof. Shiraishi (Waseda University), Prof. Momoki (Osaka University)...
In his welcoming speech, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Khanh (Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities) recalled the history of the relationship between the two countries, which began very early in the 11th century and has been accompanied by strong achievements in cooperation between Vietnam and Japan over the past four decades. Throughout many centuries of building and establishing its economic and diplomatic position in the East Asia region, Japan has always maintained friendly relations with Vietnam. During the period when the Vietnamese people resisted the American invasion, the Japanese people and government actively supported Vietnam in the struggle for peace, unity, independence and territorial integrity. Entering the period of renovation, when Vietnam implemented a policy of multilateralization and diversification of foreign relations, the Vietnam-Japan relationship was raised to a new level, developing both in breadth and depth. In July 2004, the two countries issued a joint statement “reaching new heights of sustainable partnership” and by October 2006 agreed to build a “strategic cooperative relationship”. Currently, Japan is one of Vietnam’s most important economic partners, the number one official development assistance provider and one of the largest investors in Vietnam.
The Rector's speech also emphasized the lessons learned in the process of building cooperative relations between the two countries, which are "sharing, empathy and close cooperation". This is the premise and also a valuable asset for the two countries to continue promoting and developing strategic cooperative relations in the coming period.
From another perspective, Mr. Saita Yukio (Counselor of the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam) mentioned “mutual understanding and respect” as an important condition for building relations between the two countries in the present and the future. The Counselor also said that it is necessary to enhance the understanding of history and culture between the two peoples, first of all, to increase exchanges between scholars and young people of the two countries.
Mr. Inami Kazumi (Director of the Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange) said: “In the process of expanding exchanges between the people of the two countries, if we are too hasty, it will lead to “collisions” and misunderstandings because the two sides do not have a deep understanding of each other”. Therefore, he believes that it is necessary to improve the quality and quantity of Japanese studies in Vietnam, creating a foundation for true understanding between the two countries.
After the opening session, more than 20 reports were presented in 3 sub-committees: “History”; “Culture and cultural diplomacy”; “Prospects of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic relations in the new regional and international context”. Experts from many different fields shared academic views and exchanged new findings, aiming at a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of the history, culture and international relations of Japan and Vietnam.
At the “History” subcommittee, delegates discussed specific contents: the “Map of the Red Seal Trading Ships” from the results of archaeological investigations in Hoi An; a regional perspective on Vietnam-Japan relations in the 17th century; currency circulation in modern Vietnam – from the results of research on ancient jars of coins; “Reconnecting” and “comparing” Japanese history with Vietnamese history; Annamese diplomatic documents from the 16th-17th centuries; Japanese warriors in the medieval period and the sense of inheritance; exporting Hizen ceramics abroad…
At the subcommittee “Culture and cultural diplomacy”, the main presentations were: the influence of Japanese culture on Vietnamese youth today; the activities of Mitsui Bussan company in Indochina during the Asia-Pacific war; the perspective on Japan’s soft power in Southeast Asia; Phan Boi Chau - the one who laid the foundation for the Vietnam - Japan friendship castle; Vietnamese students studying in Japan - history and prospects; the possibility of coordination between Enterprises and Education in the mobile era: proposed cooperation between Vietnamese and Japanese universities; Vietnam - Japan relations in historical and cultural times and spaces...
At the subcommittee “Prospects of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic relations in the new regional and international context”, there were presentations on: China-Japan competition in relations with ASEAN and implications for Vietnam; changes in the East Asian strategic environment: Japan-Vietnam cooperation in seeking a new civilizational approach; some subjective factors contributing to promoting Vietnam-Japan relations in the future; ASEAN and Vietnam in Japan’s security policy…
Newer news
Older news
