All international relations in modern times are aff ected by the structure of the international system. So is Vietnam-Japan relations. The article provides a theoretical basis for the structure of international relations, analyzing to bring a clear view of the current status of the Asia-Pacifi c regional structure. Thereby, it points out the eff ects, both positive and negative, of that structure to Vietnam-Japan relations, contributing to providing an additional perspective from a structural perspective to relations between the two countries. Received 6 November 2018
published 25 March 2019