On the morning of March 19, in Lang Son, Vietnam CPV General Secretary To Lam chaired a working session with several ministries, central agencies, and localities on the implementation of Vietnam–China railway cooperation.
Attending the meeting were Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh; Politburo members including Luong Tam Quang, Minister of Public Security; Le Hoai Trung, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Pham Gia Tuc, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Chief of the Party Central Office; along with other Party Central Committee members and leaders of various ministries, sectors, and localities.
Railway cooperation has been identified as a key highlight symbolizing practical and strategic cooperation between Vietnam and China. This is an important factor in shaping trade relations toward a new phase of more substantive, effective, and sustainable development, while creating additional momentum and space for economic growth in line with Party resolutions.
At the meeting, representatives of the Ministry of Construction reported on Vietnam - China railway connectivity cooperation, particularly investment in three railway lines (Hanoi - Dong Dang; Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong; Hai Phong - Ha Long - Mong Cai); progress of agreements; and passenger transport connections with China. Delegates discussed issues related to planning, institutions, standards, and technical regulations for railway transport, as well as ensuring progress, quality, and efficiency of project implementation.
In his concluding remarks, General Secretary To Lam affirmed that Vietnam–China railway cooperation is both a necessity and an opportunity; if implemented effectively and properly managed, it will become a key area of practical and effective cooperation between the two countries in the coming years. Railway connectivity will reduce logistics costs and transit time, promote trade and border economic development, enhance customs clearance capacity, reduce congestion at road border gates, and connect Vietnam to the Asia - Europe rail network, thereby diversifying international transport routes. These railways will also facilitate the development of industrial clusters, logistics centers, and industrial urban areas along the corridors, strengthening regional economic linkages - especially in northern Vietnam - enhancing regional connectivity, and elevating Vietnam’s position in the Asian supply chain.
To effectively implement railway investment projects, the General Secretary emphasized the need to address capital mobilization by developing diverse and sustainable financing mechanisms that combine multiple resources. A unified national coordination mechanism should be established for these strategic infrastructure connectivity projects, ensuring centralized leadership and clear assignment of responsibilities among ministries, sectors, and localities. Enhanced inter-sectoral coordination must ensure alignment between transport infrastructure development and regional economic planning, logistics systems, and industrial zones along economic corridors.
In his concluding remarks, General Secretary To Lam reaffirmed that Vietnam–China railway cooperation is both a necessity and an opportunity; if properly implemented and managed, it will serve as a key area of effective cooperation between the two countries in the coming years. Railway connectivity will reduce logistics costs and travel time, promote trade and border economic development, enhance customs capacity, reduce congestion at land border gates, and connect Vietnam to the Asia–Europe rail network, thereby diversifying international transport routes. These railways will foster industrial clusters, logistics centers, and industrial urban areas along the corridors, strengthening regional economic linkages—especially in northern Vietnam—enhancing regional connectivity, and improving Vietnam’s position in the Asian supply chain.
To ensure effective implementation of railway investments, it is necessary to resolve capital mobilization challenges by establishing diverse and sustainable financing mechanisms that integrate multiple resources. A unified national coordination mechanism should be created for these strategic infrastructure projects, ensuring centralized leadership and clear division of responsibilities among ministries and local authorities. Strengthened inter-agency coordination must ensure synchronization between transport infrastructure development and regional economic planning, logistics systems, and industrial zones along economic corridors.
Warning of the risk of becoming merely transit corridors for goods, the General Secretary stressed that railway development must go hand in hand with planning for industrial zones, urban areas, logistics centers, and production clusters along economic corridors to create new value chains and increase domestic value-added. As these railway lines and corridors pass through multiple localities, regional development planning must be synchronized—especially in land use, urban development, industrial zones, and logistics infrastructure—to avoid fragmented development, weak linkages, or inefficient competition among localities that would undermine overall project effectiveness.
The General Secretary emphasized that infrastructure connectivity—especially Vietnam–China railway links—must be identified as a strategic breakthrough in bilateral economic cooperation and a key component of Vietnam’s infrastructure, logistics, and regional linkage development strategy in the coming period. Strategic cooperation principles must be ensured: independence, self-reliance, diversified funding sources, economic efficiency, and transparency in technology and standards. The Government Party Committee, particularly the Ministry of Construction, must develop a Vietnam–China railway development strategy within the overall national railway development strategy for 2026–2030, with a vision to 2045 and beyond.
Prior to the meeting, General Secretary To Lam and other Party and State leaders conducted a field survey at Dong Dang Station in Lang Son.
VPDA ĐS - TECCO1
Source: Nhandan News