Japan to aid Vietnam's state projects

HANOI - The Japanese Embassy in Hanoi has announced Japan's new country assistance program for Vietnam. The program will be the main source of Japanese aid for Vietnam over the next few years.

Mitsuru Kitano, the embassy's charge d'affaires, said that under the new program aid projects will be selected through negotiations rather than requests.

Japan's previous aid programs focused funding on five areas: human-resource development, economic infrastructure, agriculture and rural development, education and health care, and environmental protection.

Japanese funds will now be primarily directed at promoting economic growth, improving social life and reforming the legal system.

These areas are also the main targets of the Vietnamese government's programs for development and poverty reduction.

Kitano said Japan will funnel aid toward economic renovation projects, including enhancing Vietnam's investment environment, developing small and medium-sized enterprises and upgrading infrastructure and information technology.

Japan will also help Vietnam further its legal system and administrative reform.

Kitano said that among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' (ASEAN's) 10 member countries, Vietnam has the most potential for economic development.

Japan, which is among Vietnam's 40 biggest donors, has increased official development assistance for Vietnam, although it has decreased funding to many other countries, he said.

The diplomat said he hoped Japan's aid would contribute to Japan-Vietnam and Japan-ASEAN economic cooperation.

"Vietnam highly values Japan's new country assistance program. Hopefully it will help Vietnam develop appropriate policies to promote economic growth," said Duong Duc Ung, director of the Department for External Economic Relations in the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

(Asia Pulse/VNA)

there is no need to thanks them because this is some kind of advertisement since they are doing business in viet nam, they should do this cuz it makes them look good in the eyes of the viet people so they can sell their products in the viet land. remember this, there is no such thing that they give their money away without get anything in return.

It's called "lobby" in the States.

I don't care. They're doing the Vietnamese people and Vietnam a favour. Yes they do derive benefits too but what they're doing is benefiting the country. This is what we need while our country is still developing.

http://www.xmission.com/~irra/dwj/thesis.html

Japan actually tried many times to send aid to Vietnam since 1975, but the U.S keep on ordering Japan not to. It wasn't until 1994 when the U.S began relations with Vietnam again did Japan then was able to provide Vietnam with millions of dollars. Too bad the U.S had to interfere before, lets hope Japan can kick the U.S out so they can no longer order tell them what to do.

While I'm not gonna comment on the xenophobic attitude towards Vietnamese living in Japan, I will say Japan has done many things to help Vietnam after World War 2.

The ironic thing about all this "aid" is this:

The Japanese build hosipitals in Vietnam (supply all the construction materials and the hiring of Vietnamese labours to build it) then charge normal prices for their medical equipment and "after sales" products for medical equipment and stuff. By selling back products they are actually making more profit or recovering costs than actually "helping" out Vietnam.

These hospitals built are also NOT helping the middle and poorer classes of Vietnam (whereby the majority are0. Once they are set up, they charge the bull *due to expensive Japanese medical equipment* and usually target the wealthier Vietnamese who can afford it.

Ahh yes, another sneaky scheme by the rich nations to "act innocent" and look like "helping" when they generally are not...just another "lucrative long term" deal coming up.

I don't know how exactly this will "help" Vietnam, as he general poor and people will not be freely admitted to these hospitals. Vietnam needs more "general" hospitals for the general public to gain FREE access to health services, without foreigners making a profit on the medical supplies they "sell to" them after the construction phase.

Yes, Japan is a generous country to a lot of their poorer neighbours, but could all this be a gesture fo remorse for past wrongs? (which still have not been cleared up). Furthermore, I doubt Japan will be able to "kick USA's" @$$ and tell it not to interfere. Fujimori and Koizumi act like weaklings when dealing with Bush (but all nations do as well). Only recently has Germany and France been strong enough not to support USA on some issues: 1. The Iraqi War 2. Sales of arms to China. Japan and other nations are fearful of the USA in cutting off trade and military alliance if they ever tried to disagree with USA's stance on issues.

Hmmm... suspicious

Japan aid to Vietnam; I think it is a normal business. Again, there is no such a thing as free lunch.

I have two things to talk about Japan:
Good one: Since Japanese business people started doing business in Vietnam; they have treated Vietnamese worker well, unlike the Korean, Taiwanese, or Chinese investors.

Bad one: During WW2, the j@p invaded Vietnam, the j@p ordered Vietnamese farmers to destroy their rice field in order to grow grass, as a result thousand of people of Thai Binh Province died of hunger.

That's the past, we are looking forward. Japanese people are welcomed in Vietnam.