Within the broader context of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Viet Nam and Japan, local-level cooperation continues to be affirmed as an important pillar, contributing to the promotion of substantive and sustainable cooperation between the two countries. Standing out within this network, the relationship between Hai Phong City and Niigata Prefecture has demonstrated significant potential for further expansion, particularly in the fields of education and training, agriculture, and people-to-people exchange.
In November 2015, Hai Phong City and Niigata Prefecture signed a Memorandum of Understanding on exchanges and cooperation in areas including economy and tourism, agriculture, education and human resource training, media and communications, and sports. Building on this MoU, over nearly a decade, the two localities have actively implemented numerous concrete cooperation activities, gradually deepening their friendly relations and fostering mutual trust.
Vice Chairman of the Hai Phong People’s Committee Lê Trung Kiên paid a courtesy visit to the Vice Governor of Niigata Prefecture on the sidelines of the Viet Nam–Japan Local Cooperation Forum (November 2025).
Education and training has emerged as the most prominent and in-depth area of cooperation between Hai Phong and Niigata. The two sides have regularly maintained exchange and cooperation activities through partnerships among educational institutions, Japanese-language training programs, and the implementation of postgraduate scholarship programs—both doctoral and master’s—funded by the Niigata Prefectural Government. During the 2018–2022 period, four candidates from Hai Phong participated in Niigata Prefecture’s postgraduate research scholarship program, contributing to the development of high-quality human resources with a deep understanding of Japan and the potential to serve as bridges for future cooperation between the two localities.
In addition, Niigata Prefecture organized a Study Abroad Seminar in Hai Phong (November 2018) with the participation of Japanese-language training institutions and a large number of local students, helping to provide official information and clear guidance for students and parents interested in studying, conducting research, or working in Japan. Notably, the fact-finding mission of the Hai Phong delegation to Niigata Prefecture (October 2019) enabled both sides to enhance mutual understanding of the education system, the socio-economic environment, and regulations related to international students, thereby laying the groundwork for expanding new forms of cooperation such as partnerships between high schools and teacher–student exchanges under homestay programs.
Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the two sides continued to effectively maintain cooperation activities through online formats. Virtual meetings were organized to exchange information on scholarships and study-abroad programs, as well as to directly connect high schools in Hai Phong with Japanese-language training institutions in Niigata Prefecture. In particular, the online meeting in December 2020, with the participation of Tran Phu Specialized High School, Marie Curie High School, Japanese language centers in Hai Phong, and three Japanese-language training schools from Niigata Prefecture, opened up many new directions for cooperation. During this meeting, Hai Phong proposed diversifying scholarship schemes, organizing short-term courses, and expanding opportunities for internships and employment in Niigata after graduation.
Cultural and language exchange continues to be an important highlight in the relationship between the two localities. The online Japanese speech contest titled “Hai Phong–Niigata Friendship Bridge,” held in May 2021, provided a meaningful platform for Hai Phong students, while also strengthening people-to-people exchange and nurturing a solid foundation for long-term friendship. The fact that Niigata Prefecture donated four batches of Japanese books, textbooks, and learning materials to Hai Phong during the 2019–2021 period further demonstrated its practical support for Japanese language teaching and learning in the city.
Beyond education and training, agricultural cooperation is emerging as a highly promising direction between Hai Phong and Niigata. The two localities have maintained coordination and preparations for the implementation of an agricultural technology exchange and support project, aiming to apply Japan’s scientific and technological advances to agricultural production in Hai Phong. Field exchanges and survey visits conducted by officials from both sides in 2023 enhanced mutual understanding of high-tech agricultural production models, value chain management, and sustainable agricultural development in Niigata Prefecture, opening up prospects for more concrete and effective cooperation in the near future.
The city delegation conducted a field survey in the agricultural sector in Niigata Prefecture.
Based on the cooperation outcomes achieved to date, it is evident that the potential for expanding cooperation between Hai Phong and Niigata remains substantial. The two localities share many similarities and complementarities in terms of human resource development needs, high-tech agriculture, and the aspiration to strengthen youth exchange. In the coming period, further promoting education and training cooperation aligned with the practical needs of enterprises, expanding exchange programs for students, undergraduates, and researchers, and concretizing high-tech agricultural cooperation projects will be important directions, contributing to more substantive and sustainable development of the Hai Phong–Niigata relationship.
With the cooperation foundation already established, strong mutual trust, and the determination of the authorities of both localities, cooperation between Hai Phong City and Niigata Prefecture is expected to continue expanding, becoming a notable highlight within the framework of Viet Nam–Japan local-level cooperation and making positive contributions to further deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries in the new period.