Professor Nishizawa Toshiro of the University of Tokyo.

He noted that Vietnam pursues an independent, resilient, and highly adaptive foreign policy, reflected in concrete actions, most notably the establishment of comprehensive strategic partnerships with 14 countries while maintaining balanced relations with major powers.

Professor Nishizawa described Vietnam as a “middle power” that plays an active role in shaping regional norms and reinforcing a rules-based international order.

Regarding major policy orientations outlined in the draft documents of the 14th Party Congress, he particularly praised Vietnam for placing digital transformation and science and technology at the strategic core of its development agenda in the new era.

"Vietnam is leap-frogging in certain fields. What I mean is, it's jumping even ahead of Japan by adapting cutting edge technologies. Vietnam's recent efforts signal a clear commitment to modernizing its economy and governance as well, or more broadly, Vietnam's socio-economic system itself. Expanding digital public services, promoting cashless payments, building high-tech industrial zones all showed Vietnam wants to move towards a more efficient, effective, and innovation-driven development model," according to Professor Nishizawa.