Southeast Asia Information Port News (www.dnyxxg.com) General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, To Lam, recently chaired a special working meeting on Vietnam-China railway cooperation, hearing reports on the progress of three key railway projects and outlining further cooperation measures. Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Minister of Public Security Luong Sam Quang, Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung, and other relevant central and local government officials and industry leaders attended the meeting.
Prior to the meeting, General Secretary To Lam visited the Dong Dang railway station and subsequently received a special report from the Ministry of Construction on the investment and cooperation progress, agreement alignment, effectiveness of passenger transport connectivity between Vietnam and China, and related suggestions for the three cross-border railways: Hanoi-Dong Dang, Lao Cai-Hanoi-Haiphong, and Haiphong-Ha Long-Mong Cai.
General Secretary To Lam emphasized at the meeting that cooperation in the Vietnam-China railway sector is both a practical need for the development of both countries and a historic opportunity, forming the core space for future pragmatic and efficient bilateral cooperation. He pointed out that this cooperation is not only a key lever for Vietnam to modernize its infrastructure, reduce logistics costs, and expand international connectivity, but also a powerful tool to help Vietnam gradually master new basic industrial sectors. It is of great significance in guiding Vietnam-China trade relations towards a more pragmatic, efficient, and sustainable new stage, injecting strong momentum into the implementation of the Party's resolutions, and opening up broad space for national economic development.
Regarding the strategic value of the Vietnam-China railway connectivity, General Secretary To Lam clearly pointed out that this cooperation will effectively reduce cross-border logistics costs and transportation time, enhance national economic competitiveness; promote border trade and port economic development, improve customs clearance efficiency, and alleviate congestion at land borders; promote the construction of logistics centers, port economic zones, and industrial clusters in border provinces; and help Vietnam connect to the Eurasian railway transport network, diversify international transport routes, and reduce its single dependence on maritime transport. This is highly consistent with the overall goal of China and Vietnam jointly building the "Belt and Road" initiative and constructing a strategically significant community with a shared future. Regarding the core challenge of securing funding for railway construction and ensuring national financial security, General Secretary To Lam put forward clear requirements: First, establish a diversified and sustainable funding mechanism to broaden investment and financing channels; second, build a unified national coordination mechanism, strengthen centralized and unified leadership, clarify the division of responsibilities among ministries, industries, and local governments, and establish efficient coordination agencies throughout the entire process of project negotiation, preparation, and implementation. At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen cross-departmental collaboration to ensure that transportation infrastructure construction is synchronized with regional economic development planning, logistics systems, and industrial zone planning along economic corridors, avoiding the isolated advancement of single projects.
General Secretary To Lam objectively analyzed the various challenges facing the Vietnam-China railway construction and clearly suggested that infrastructure connectivity, especially railway connectivity, be identified as a strategic breakthrough point for bilateral economic cooperation. He emphasized that this strategic positioning aims to lay a solid foundation for Vietnam's deep integration into regional and international transportation networks by reducing logistics costs and enhancing economic competitiveness. It is reported that the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Haiphong railway has been approved for investment by the Vietnamese National Assembly. It is planned to adopt the 1435 mm standard gauge to achieve compatibility with Chinese railways and is expected to be completed in 2030. It will become an important "economic corridor" for cross-border passenger and freight transport between China and Vietnam.
