PM calls for expansion of railway links between Vietnam, China

Receiving Chairman of the Executive Board of China Railway Chen Yun, PM Chinh praised the company’s global reach and sustainability with 381 branches in 105 countries.

Chen said the company is now the main contractor of several urban railway projects in Hanoi and wind power projects in Dak Nong province, and a tire manufacturing plant in Tien Giang. He expressed interest in engaging in the construction of transportation projects in Vietnam, such as the North-South and the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong express railways, and the Hanoi urban metro line.

To develop infrastructure, PM Chinh said Vietnam is stepping up public-private partnership, striving to have 5,000 km of highways, complete the first stage of the Long Thanh international airport and 1,700 km of coastal roads from Quang Ninh to Ca Mau by 2030.

According to him, Vietnam plans to build railway lines such as the Lao Cai – Hanoi - Hai Phong with a total length of roughly 388 km and a cost of $11 billion, the Vung Ang – Laos with the section in Vietnam stretching 103 km and costing $1.6 billion, and the Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh City with around 1,545 km and a combined investment of some $62 billion.

The Vietnamese leader, who is in China for the 20th China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (CABIS) there, welcomed the Chinese enterprises and the China Railway in particular to expand their operation in Vietnam in the spirit of harmonizing interests and sharing risks.

He suggested the China Railway continue working with relevant Vietnamese ministries and localities to develop new projects in Vietnam, including the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong express railway linking with the Kunming - Hanoi - Hai Phong economic corridor.

In a reception for Wang Xiaojun, Deputy General Manager of Power China which ranked 100th on the Fortune Global 500 list and 29th among the top 500 Chinese enterprises in 2022, PM Chinh hailed the company's plan to expand operations in energy in Vietnam in the near future, especially in wind power and liquefied natural gas electricity projects.

The Vietnamese Government commits to create all possible support to Chinese firms and the Power China in particular, he said, adding that it recently approved the National Power Development Plan for the 2021-2030 period with a vision to 2050, with renewable energy sources, especially onshore and offshore wind power, being a foundation of Vietnam's long-term energy security.

He suggested that the Power China explore cooperation in Vietnam's priority areas, including infrastructure - one of Vietnam's three strategic breakthroughs. Specifically, he proposed exploring the possibility of investing in China - Quang Ninh - Hai Phong and Lang Son - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway lines, with the commitment to translating these ideas into concrete actions and achieving tangible results.

PM Chinh on Saturday also hosted Liu Ning, member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Secretary of Guangxi Party Committee, and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, in Guangxi province's Nanning city.

Thanking Guangxi for preserving relic sites related to President Ho Chi Minh's revolutionary activities in the province, he said he hopes that Guangxi will continue playing a pioneering role in promoting substantive exchanges and cooperation between the two nations.

Recalling Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's recent tour of the border gate area in Lang Son province and planting of a "friendship" tree there, Chinh said the act manifests importance and top priority attached by the Vietnamese Party and State to the Vietnam - China relations.

Liu, for his part, affirmed that Guangxi always treasures its friendly and cooperative relations with Vietnamese localities. Following his Vietnam visit in April, he expressed satisfaction about two-way trade that exceeded $20 billion in the first eight months of this year.

The Vietnamese PM spoke highly of bilateral cooperation potential and outlined six breakthrough areas for cooperation with Guangxi in the coming time, namely infrastructure connectivity, economic-trade-investment cooperation promotion, expanding people-to-people and youth exchanges, close cooperation in the field of border gates, good implementation of three document on the management of the Vietnam-China land border, and close cooperation in education and training.

Agreeing with PM Chinh's proposals, Liu affirmed that the Party Organisation, authorities and people of Guangxi will follow common perceptions reached by leaders of the two countries and Parties, expand and deepen friendly exchanges with the Vietnamese localities as well.

He promised to work with Vietnamese ministries, agencies and localities to deepen collaboration in six breakthrough directions proposed by the Vietnamese leader, with a focus on stepping up railway and road transportation connectivity, improving customs efficiency through the pilot "smart border gate" model, strengthening port cooperation, and jointly working on cross-border crime prevention, thus contributing to consolidating and deepening bilateral comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership to bring practical benefits to localities and their people.