Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae visited Hanoi this week, where Japan and Vietnam agreed to deepen bilateral ties in energy and critical minerals — resources increasingly central to global supply chain competition. The two countries' partnership reflects shared strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific, as Takaichi also used the visit to present a refreshed version of Japan's "Free and Open Indo-Pacific" foreign policy framework. The agreement underscores Tokyo's effort to secure resource partnerships across Southeast Asia while reinforcing regional alliances amid growing geopolitical tensions.