Danang, an example of all-round ties with Japan

Danang (VNA)- The central port city of Danang is joining with the entire Vietnam to celebrate the 35 th anniversary of diplomatic relations with Japan in this September.

The city now runs 45 enterprises which are doing business with Japan.

Its exports to the Japanese market reached 67 million USD in 2007 with
canned foods, apparel, sand, net catgut and fine art articles as its major
hard currency earners.

In return, the city imports steel and raw materials for garment making and
candle production worth 44 million USD in 2007.

Danang's official relations with Japan kicked off in 1994 when the city
signed a Ports Agreement with Kawasaki city, providing for cooperation
in the exchange of public employees and students as well as information,
documents and holding relevant seminars.

In 2004, the agreement of cooperation and friendship between the two ports
were inked. Leaders of the two cities reached an accord on economic
cooperation, that called for stronger bilateral relations in economics,
culture and human resources development.

In addition to Kawasaki city, Danang has also set up relations with
Mitsuke city in Niigata province of Japan . The two cities are
jointly operating a homestay programme for students from Mitsuke and
Japanese language students from Danang.

Danang has planned to broaden its relations to other cities such as
Nagoya , Kitakyushu and Shunan in the coming period.

These programmes of cooperation have contributed to promoting the central
coastal city's images among Japanese, resulting in increasing influxes of
investors and tourists from Japan into the city.

Danang opened a representative office in Tokyo in 2004, which has
managed to draw 32 projects with Japanese investments. These projects,
capitalized at over 200 million USD, focus on export-oriented paper pulp
production, restaurants, seafood and farm produce processing, fishing net,
fishing rods, electronics appliances and software programming and
production.

The city is also home to some 15 representative offices of Japanese
industrial groups such as Itochu, OKC and Sumitomo.

Japanese companies are making profits in Danang and providing stable jobs
for almost 15,000 workhands.

The Japanese Government is funding a number of key development projects in
the port city, including the construction of the Hai Van subway at a cost of
150 million USD, the upgrading of the Tien Sa port valued at 100 million
USD, the construction of several primary schools worth 8 billion VND, the
supply of medical equipment for the provincial hospital worth 326 million
JPY, and strategic development research for the alliance of Danang city and
its neighbours.

In addition to ODA, Danang has benefited from Japanese non-governmental
organizations (NGO) assistance. Since 2005, they have financed over 20
projects worth almost 6 billion VND in healthcare for women and children,
care for disadvantaged children, supply of teaching aid, scholarships for
poor gifted primary school pupils and supply of bicycles for poor children.

NGO-funded projects have also covered HIV/AIDS control which has been
integrated into productive health care and family planning programmes,
construction of a day-care centre and Japanese teaching for children.

Two Japanese businesses based in Danang are operating in the labour
exports field. They have recruited 40 university graduates from the city to
work in Japan .

Last August, the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) added Danang
into a list of investment consideration to compare its input costs with
other major Asian cities, which now total 30 in the list. The listing has
lit a hope for stronger ties between Danang and Japan .--Enditem