VIETNAM and Japan have signed an agreement on transferring defence equipment and technology, bringing bilateral cooperation between them to a new level.
The deal was signed on Saturday during Japanese Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi two-day visit to Vietnam that ended yesterday.
During talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Defence Minister Phan Van Giang, they said the agreement between the two nations showed they have entered a new development phase.
The move comes the two countries step up their military cooperation amid worries about China's growing military influence in the region.
Kishi said they also plan to deepen their defence ties through multinational joint exercises and other means.
The Japanese Defence Ministry said details about the transfer of equipment, including naval vessels, will be worked out in subsequent talks.
According to the Vn Express, the two leaders also agreed to work on another agreement on cooperation in military medicine and cyber security.
During their talks, the two ministers exchanged views on international and regional issues of mutual concern, including the importance of freedom of navigation and over-flight in the face of regional complicated developments.
They reaffirmed the necessity of complying with international laws, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Meanwhile, Kyodo News reports Kishi saying that Japan and Vietnam shared "the same destiny" and should boost defence cooperation for regional stability based on the rule of law.
On Sunday, Kishi reiterated the deal signifies a "new stage" in the defense partnership between Japan and Vietnam, which is engaged in territorial disputes with China over the Spratly and Paracel island groups in the South China Sea, with Beijing accused of militarising outposts it has constructed.
Vietnam is the 11th nation with which Japan has signed a defence equipment and technology transfer deal. Other countries include the United Kingdom, Australia, the Philippines and Indonesia.
Kishi's visit coincided with a two-day visit to Hanoi by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who held talks with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh on Friday.
"The two sides should cherish the hard won peace and stability in the South China Sea, place the maritime issues at an appropriate position in bilateral relations...jointly caution and guard against the interference and instigation from forces outside the region," the Chinese Foreign Ministry quoted Wang as saying during the meeting.
He wrapped up his visit, saying China plans to donate three million doses of Covid-19 vaccines to Vietnam.
Wang's visit came about two weeks after United States Vice President Kamala Harris' trip to Vietnam.
During her tour of Southeast Asia, Harris had urged countries to stand up against "bullying" by China in the South China Sea.