The Japanese and Vietnamese foreign ministers affirmed Tuesday that their countries are important partners in realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific, a vision advocated by Tokyo to counter China's growing clout in the region.
At a meeting in Hanoi, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and her Vietnamese counterpart Bui Thanh Son agreed to work together to bring the bilateral relationship "to new heights," according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
The talks came as Sino-Japanese ties have frayed over the Tokyo-controlled, Beijing-claimed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. Vietnam, meanwhile, has become increasingly wary of Beijing's expanding military activities and territorial claims in the South China Sea.
With this year marking the 50th anniversary of Japan-Vietnam relations, Kamikawa and Son also pledged to ramp up their cooperation in the economic field, the ministry said.
On Monday, Kamikawa visited Brunei and met with her counterpart Erywan Yusof. They confirmed that collaboration between the two governments has been deepening in areas such as energy, climate change and security, the Japanese ministry said.
Japan is the largest importer of liquefied natural gas produced in Brunei, the ministry said.
Kamikawa, who assumed the position of foreign minister in mid-September in a Cabinet reshuffle, is on a six-day trip to four Southeast Asian nations from Sunday, which will also take her to Laos and Thailand.
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