China construction company offers to build Vietnam high-speed railroad

Its CEO, Wang Hai Huai, told Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha at a meeting in Hanoi Wednesday that the company has been closely tracking major transportation projects in Vietnam, such as the high-speed rail, infrastructure projects connecting China and Vietnam, and metro networks in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

The company is also willing to invest in nearshore and offshore wind power plants in Vietnam using the latest technologies.

It first started operations in Vietnam in 1996 and has since undertaken more than 30 projects worth over US$3 billion, including seaports, nearshore wind power plants and industrial zones.

Lauding the company’s road, railway and energy projects, Ha called on it to engage in practical and effective cooperation in areas such as infrastructure, construction, transportation, and agriculture to help implement the high-level agreements between the two countries and parties.

He urged CCCC to participate in certain infrastructure projects such as the north-south high-speed rail road and three rail links to the Chinese border.

"These are priority projects that must be implemented as soon as possible."

He also urged the company to quickly engage with Vietnamese partners, study the legal provisions in both countries and ensure effective collaboration.

"This will usher in a new phase of infrastructure development in Vietnam."

Vietnam plans to begin work on a 1,500-kilometer high-speed rail link between the northern and southern regions in 2026 or 2027.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said at a conference in July that the government should conduct research for building a rail that allows speeds of up to 350 kilometers per hour. It should be completed by 2035, he added.