Post #6035

🇯🇵🇻🇳Takaichi in Hanoi for economic security talks Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrived in Hanoi for summit talks with Vietnamese PM Le Minh Hung, with both sides expected to release a joint document covering energy, AI, and critical minerals cooperation. The visit runs through Sunday and includes a speech by Takaichi outlining Japan's updated Free and Open Indo-Pacific policy vision. The talks come as Japan accelerates supply chain diversification following China's rare earth export controls and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. Tokyo is simultaneously deepening security ties across ASEAN — Vietnam and Japan held their first vice-foreign and defence ministers' two-plus-two meeting in December — with Japan also considering Vietnam for its Official Security Assistance framework. The visit consolidates Vietnam's position as a strategic node in Japan's dual effort to hedge against Chinese economic leverage and build out Indo-Pacific security architecture. #Japan#Vietnam @asianomics