Can Tho to aim at enhancing multi-area cooperation with Japanese partners.

On April 13, 2022, Secretary of the Can Tho City Party Committee Le Quang Manh, Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee Nguyen Thuc Hien, and some leaders of the city's related departments and agencies had a meeting with Mr. WATANABE Nobuhiro - Consul General of Japan in Ho Chi Minh City. Accompanying him was Mr. MASUDA Chikahiro - Head of JICA Representative Office in Ho Chi Minh City.

At the meeting, the Party Secretary gave an overview of the prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic as well as the economic recovery in the new normal state and some outstanding achievements of the city in socio-economic development in recent times. He said that Can Tho has basically controlled the COVID-19 epidemic, and the city GDP in the first quarter of 2022 increased by 5.7%, making it one of the localities with the highest growth rate in the country. Can Tho has successfully organized a series of events: the inauguration ceremony of Hung Kings Temple, Don Ca Tai Tu Music and Song Festival, Southern Traditional Cake Festival, Football Festival, and the Chol Chnam Thmay for Khmer people. All of the events attracted more than 1 million visitors and attendees, contributing to the promotion of city tourism and recovery of business activities.

In the field of science education between Japan and Can Tho, the City Party Secretary asked the Consulate General of Japan to enhance the promotion of activities to support academic exchanges, creating conditions for young scientists to exchange and access to new scientific knowledge from Japan.

In addition, Mr. Le Quang Manh proposed that the Consulate General of Japan and JICA support Can Tho in promoting the development projects in transport and infrastructure in the Mekong Delta region, with a focus on Can Tho city. For example, the implementation of the Ho Chi Minh City - Can Tho railway system, connecting route between Giong Rieng (Kien Giang) and Thoi Lai - O Mon (Can Tho). He emphasized that these works play an important role in promoting the development of the Mekong Delta region, and these are also areas that Japanese enterprises have a lot of experience. Therefore, he wished that Japanese businesses in the field of infrastructure construction investment would come to invest in the construction of the above-mentioned key infrastructure projects.

Currently, Can Tho city has 6 FDI projects from Japan with a total registered investment capital of about 1.35 billion USD. The results of attracting FDI from Japan to Can Tho over the past time have not met the expectations of both sides due to many objective and subjective reasons. In addition to directing the city's functional agencies to soon carry out investment promotion activities with Japanese partners, the Secretary said that the city would promote the opening of commercial flights connecting Can Tho to Tokyo and Osaka to facilitate trade and economic development cooperation with Japan. The city leader also asked the Consulate General of Japan in Ho Chi Minh City to support this issue.

Mr. WATANABE Nobuhiro highly appreciated the efforts of the Can Tho government in controlling the COVID-19 epidemic. He said that in recent years, Can Tho has had many activities to call for investment and cooperation from Japan, such as preparing the Vietnam - Japan Friendship Industrial Park, organizing investment promotion seminars in Ho Chi Minh City and Japan, organized charter flights for Japanese businesses, established Japan Desk Offices in Can Tho, Tokyo and Osaka... Therefore, he trusted that these activities would attract more Japanese businesses to study and invest in Can Tho.

The Consul General also informed the Secretary of the survey results carried out in November and December 2021 for parent companies in Japan; the results showed that nearly 50% of Japanese businesses wanted invest in business expansion in Vietnam. Japanese businesses in Can Tho also want to continue to invest, expand their businesses locally and contribute to the development of the city. According to the Consul General of Japan, Can Tho is a major city of the Mekong Delta. If the expressway is completed from Ho Chi Minh City to the Mekong Delta provinces, synchronous transport infrastructure will have the potential to attract FDI in the region in general and Can Tho City in particular. At the same time, the Consul General affirmed that the Consulate General of Japan in Ho Chi Minh City, within its scope, would endeavor to coordinate with the city in attracting investment from Japan as well as promoting cooperation in other areas.

In the afternoon of the same day, at Nam Can Tho University, the Consulate General of Japan in Ho Chi Minh City coordinated with the School Board of Directors to solemnly organize the conferment ceremony of the Order of Rising Sun, Golden Rays with Neck Ribbon by the Government of Japan to Professor, Doctor Vo Tong Xuan – Honorary Rector of the school, for his contribution to promoting academic exchanges and mutual understanding between Japan and Vietnam. The event was announced by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in May 2021, but due to the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, it has only been officially held this time.