Promoting sports cooperation between Vietnam, China and Japan

VHO - Within the framework of the 8th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Sports (AMMS-8) taking place in Hanoi, on the afternoon of October 16, Member of the Party Central Committee, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Chairman of the Vietnam Olympic Committee Nguyen Van Hung had bilateral meetings with Deputy Director General of the General Administration of Sports of China Li Jing and Council Member of the Japan Sports Agency Junichi Kawai.

The working sessions took place in a friendly and sincere atmosphere, clearly demonstrating the spirit of cooperation, trust and towards sustainable development in the sports field.

Strengthening Vietnam-China sports cooperation

Overview of the bilateral meeting with Deputy Director General of the General Administration of Sport of China Li Jing

Sending warm welcomes to Deputy Director General Li Jing and the Chinese delegation, Minister Nguyen Van Hung affirmed that the bilateral meeting between the two sports agencies is a vivid demonstration of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, built and nurtured by the leaders of the Party, State and people of the two countries over many decades.

The Minister emphasized that Vietnam and China have a traditional friendship relationship of “mountains connecting mountains, rivers connecting rivers”, sharing the same aspirations for development and the goal of making sports a bridge connecting the people of the two countries. He highly appreciated China’s effective cooperation in the field of training and educating athletes in strong sports such as Wushu, gymnastics, archery, etc., contributing to improving Vietnam’s sports achievements in the international arena.

The bilateral meeting took place within the framework of AMMS-8.

Deputy Director General Li Jing expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome from Vietnam and said that 2025 marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and China. The Chinese delegation's participation in AMMS-8 demonstrates the deep friendship between the two countries.

He emphasized that after the visit to Vietnam by General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping, the two sides reached many important consensuses and signed many cooperation documents, in which sports is a field with great potential.

“We hope that the two sides will continue to strengthen and develop sports cooperation, contributing to promoting people-to-people exchanges and enhancing understanding and friendship between the two peoples,” said Mr. Li Jing.

Strengthening friendly cooperation in sports between Vietnam and China

The Chinese side also expressed its desire to restore the annual rotation mechanism of exchanging sports delegations between the two countries - an activity that had been maintained effectively before the Covid-19 pandemic. Minister Nguyen Van Hung highly agreed with this proposal, assigning the Vietnam International Cooperation Department and Sports Department to coordinate with the General Administration of Sports of China to develop a specific plan, moving towards organizing it annually.

Minister Nguyen Van Hung also emphasized that China is a country with a strongly developed sports industry, with many achievements and a leading position in the continent. Vietnam wishes to continue to learn from experience in management, sports health care and scientific research, thereby creating a solid foundation for the sustainable development of Vietnamese sports.

Expanding cooperation and enhancing sports exchanges between Vietnam and Japan

On the same afternoon, Minister Nguyen Van Hung received Mr. Junichi Kawai, Council Member of the Japan Sports Agency, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan. The two sides expressed their delight at the positive results of cooperation in recent times and affirmed their determination to bring the Vietnam-Japan sports relationship to a new level.

On the same afternoon, Minister Nguyen Van Hung received Mr. Junichi Kawai, Member of the Council of the Japan Sports Agency, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

Minister Nguyen Van Hung said that Japan is a country with the most developed sports in Asia, always in the leading group at international sports events. What is valuable, according to him, is that Japan does not go it alone but always wants to share experiences and support other countries to progress together.

Mr. Junichi Kawai highly appreciated Vietnam's cooperation in bilateral cooperation programs, and emphasized: "Sports not only help develop physical fitness but also nurture the spirit and will of the young generation. Vietnam is an important partner of Japan in developing sports and people-to-people exchange."

Bilateral meeting to promote sports cooperation between Vietnam and Japan

On that basis, Minister Nguyen Van Hung proposed that the two sides sign an agreement to organize the Vietnam - Japan Martial Arts Exchange Festival periodically, combined within the framework of cultural festivals of the two countries to widely promote traditional values, enhance understanding and connect the community.

The Minister also hopes that Japan will support more short-term training and coaching courses for Vietnamese athletes, especially ahead of the 2026 Asian Games in Japan.

In response, Mr. Junichi Kawai affirmed that he would direct the functional units to soon implement Vietnam's proposals, and at the same time hoped that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism would give specific instructions so that the two sides could achieve practical results in the coming time. Minister Nguyen Van Hung assigned the Department of International Cooperation and the Vietnam Sports Department to coordinate in developing an annual action plan, making Vietnam-Japan sports cooperation a regular, effective and sustainable activity.

The reception took place on the afternoon of October 16.

The Minister expressed: “Vietnam and Japan are two countries with a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia and the world. Over the years, we have achieved many achievements, clear marks, and miracles in the fields of economy, cultural industry, and people-to-people exchange. Therefore, there is no reason why sports cannot develop more strongly and deeply. I hope that this meeting will open a new chapter in sports cooperation between the two countries in the coming time.”

The bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the 8th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Sports are an important milestone, contributing to consolidating and expanding Vietnam's international sports cooperation network.

From the traditional friendship with China to the comprehensive strategic partnership with Japan, sports continue to be a bridge to promote people-to-people diplomacy, spreading the spirit of cooperation, peace and development. The commitments, agreements and new orientations agreed upon in the working sessions will open a new chapter in sports cooperation between Vietnam and its partners on the continent, making a practical contribution to the goal of building a dynamic, cohesive and prosperous ASEAN.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/thuc-day-quan-he-hop-tac-the-thao-giua-viet-nam-trung-quoc-va-nhat-ban-175180.html