Vietnam and China to enhance strategic transport infrastructure connectivity

At the gathering, officials and businesses of the two countries shared valuable experiences and good lessons on strategic transport infrastructure development, and proposed directions, especially those on technology transfer and human resources development in the railway sector in which China has strengths.

They stressed the importance of promoting cooperation in developing strategic transport infrastructure between the two countries, helping to strengthen their connections and facilitate trade, economics, tourism and people-to-people exchanges, bringing great benefit for the two countries.

Vietnamese Minister of Transport Nguyen Van Thang noted that Vietnam is in dire need of large amounts of capital for transport infrastructure development, and this is a big opportunity for both business communities of Vietnam and China.

The Ministry of Transport is ready to create conditions for Chinese businesses to enter into joint ventures with Vietnamese business partners and engage in relevant projects, especially railway and road projects, said Thang.

Taking the floor, Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing said that China has poured its transport investments into several regional countries such as Cambodia, Indonesia and Laos, and it considers Vietnam as one of its important partners in the field.

He welcomed agencies and businesses of the two countries to jointly reinforce cooperation in various fields, especially in transport development and traffic connections. Along with the leading role of State-owned enterprises, he also suggested mobilizing private enterprises to engage in cooperation projects.

In his speech, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh recalled the results of his meetings with senior Chinese eaders during his current working trip, saying both sides agreed to enhance cooperation in infrastructure development, especially strategic transport infrastructure.

Developing and connecting Vietnam-China strategic transport infrastructure systems is of particular importance, as it not only facilitates trade and people-to-people exchanges, but also serves as a basis for connecting the two countries to the region and the wider world, said the PM.

He hailed China’s visions for road and railway infrastructure development, and said Vietnam wishes to learn from China’s experience in this field.

According to the PM, both Vietnam and China hold great potential for cooperation in all five modes of transport, namely railway, air, sea, road, and waterway. However, strategic transport infrastructure connection is yet commensurate with the potential, strengths and desires of the two sides.

He recalled desires of the top leaders of the two countries to concretise their joint statement on continuing to deepen and elevate the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership and build a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

To this end, he said the two sides should work together to perfect institutions, mechanisms and policies; draw up projects with specific solutions in terms of finance, technology and management; and pool resources for project implementation, including the public-private partnership (PPP) model.

The Prime Minister asked the Chinese side to strengthen cooperation and support Vietnam with preferential capital, advanced technology, human resource training, and smart management in the field of strategic transport infrastructure.

He also called on China’s large corporations, both state-owned and private, to invest in large projects in many different fields, especially in transportation, digital transformation, green transformation, and renewable energy.

With regard to strategic transport infrastructure connectivity, the Prime Minister proposed soon deploying three standard gauge railway connection projects, namely Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong; Lang Son-Hanoi; and Mong Cai-Ha Long-Hai Phong.

He encouraged Chinese businesses to further engage in urban railway projects in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City according to the PPP model. He stressed the need to promote the expansion of air routes connecting the two countries, increase the frequency of high-demand flights, and introduce policies to encourage tourism.

The PM also suggested accelerating the implementation of road projects connecting the two countries, especially those connecting their highways and border road bridges.

In conclusion, the PM called on businesses of the two countries to promote modes of cooperation in the spirit of interest harmony and risk sharing towards win-win gains, in order to have more flagship cooperation projects, for the benefit of the two countries and their peoples.