November 25, 2021

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on November 24 held talks with visiting Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Tokyo.

The two confirmed their agreement for mutual cooperation in achieving a world without nuclear weapons, addressing climate change, and realizing a peace order based on international law.

Chinh thanked the JCP for making efforts to develop relations between Japan and Vietnam and conveyed greetings from General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Nguyen Phu Trong.

Shii welcomed Chinh’s visit to Japan and asked him to give his warm regards to Trong. Shii then expressed his hope that cooperation with Vietnam for the abolition of nuclear weapons will be strengthened further in accordance with the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

In addition, Shii stressed the need for Japan to work together with Vietnam toward meeting decarbonization goals. Shii also said that it was great that Vietnam at COP26 announced an aggressive goal of reducing CO2 emissions and signed a declaration calling for ending the use of coal power.

Furthermore, Shii touched on the ongoing confrontation between China and the United States. Explaining the JCP stance to realize an international law-based peace order in East Asia, Shii pointed out that regarding international approaches to this issue, what is most important is to avoid a vicious cycle of military tensions and achieve a peaceful co-existence of the two nations under international law. He added that the JCP from this point of view will work to help settle disputes concerning the East and South China Seas.

In response, PM Chinh expressed his intent to promote cooperation with the JCP in efforts to tackle global warming and abolish nuclear weapons. Regarding the China-U.S. tensions, he pointed out that negative impact from the two major powers’ disputes on other countries should be avoided. Pointing to the need for a sound competition, he stressed that all disagreements should be resolved in a diplomatic manner based on international law and that the use of force should be prevented.

Shii and Chinh agreed to further develop theoretical exchanges between the JCP and the CPV.

Along with JCP Vice Chair and Policy Commission Chair Tamura Tomoko and JCP Vice Chair and International Commission Chair Ogata Yasuo, Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Vu Hong Nam attended the talks.