Meeting with the Vietnamese community on November 8 in Japan, General Secretary and President To Lam, who is paying an official visit to Japan,  emphasized Vietnam's urgent need for the intellectual, technological, managerial experience, and international networks of overseas Vietnamese.

The top Vietnamese leader also affirmed the commitment to continue improving mechanisms and policies to enable Vietnamese abroad to deeply participate in the country's development efforts.

According to the Vietnam News Agency, General Secretary and President To Lam, his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, arrived in Tokyo on the afternoon of November 8 (local time), commencing an official visit to Japan at the invitation of the Japanese State.

The delegation was welcomed at Haneda International Airport by Japanese State Minister for Foreign Affairs Nakasone; Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Ito Naoki and his spouse; Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu and his spouse, along with representatives of the Vietnamese community in Japan.

Later on the same day, General Secretary and President To Lam, his spouse and the delegation met with staff from Vietnamese representative agencies and the Vietnamese community in Japan.

During the meeting, General Secretary and President To Lam expressed his pleasure in meeting representatives of the Vietnamese community living, studying, and working in Japan. He conveyed warm regards and heartfelt sentiments from the homeland to all overseas Vietnamese and staff of Vietnamese representative agencies in Japan.

Sharing updates on Vietnam's socio-economic development, General Secretary and President To Lam noted that 2026 marks the first year of implementing the Party's 14th Congress Resolution and the 2026–2030 socio-economic development plan, opening a new phase of development. 

Vietnam is working to implement major development policies and needs the contributions of scientists, experts, entrepreneurs and intellectuals with international experience, he said. Knowledge, technology, modern management practices and global networks are also essential to the country's progress.

Appreciating the contributions of the Vietnamese community in Japan, General Secretary and President To Lam affirmed that the Party and State will continue improving institutions and policies to create favourable conditions for overseas Vietnamese to engage more deeply in the country's socio-economic development and play a proactive role as partners and co-creators in nation-building.

General Secretary and President To Lam urged Vietnamese representative agencies in Japan to thoroughly implement the Party's 14th Congress Resolution and foreign policy guidelines,  further strengthen their role as a bridge between the two countries, effectively implement commitments and agreements reached by their senior leaders, and contribute to making bilateral cooperation more substantive and effective.

Simultaneously, General Secretary and President To Lam called for continued systematic and effective community work and citizen protection; promoting and encouraging Vietnamese people to comply with local laws, unite, and support each other in study, work, and life.

For the Vietnamese community in Japan, General Secretary and President To Lam hopes that they will continue to promote solidarity, mutual support, preserve the Vietnamese language and cultural identity, and actively contribute intellectually and materially to the nation's  development. 

Particularly, General Secretary and President To Lam advised Vietnamese youth and students in Japan to seize opportunities for study, research, and work to master advanced global science, technology, and knowledge; continuously striving with knowledge, courage, and aspiration to contribute to the homeland.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu said the Vietnamese community in Japan numbers more than 700,000, living across all 47 prefectures. He highlighted the embassy's efforts to strengthen community solidarity, support overseas Vietnamese and mobilise their resources for national development, while noting that economic diplomacy should contribute substantively to Vietnam's double-digit growth target.

On this occasion, the top leader's spouse Ngo Phuong Ly presented a Vietnamese-language bookcase to the Vietnamese community in Japan.