QuangNinh (VNA) – Over the past years, the northern province of Quang Ninh hasbeen working to gradually establish itself as a “gateway” for cross-bordertrade between Vietnam and China, thus contributing to bilateral economic ties.

QuangNinh, which shares more than 118km of land border and 191km of sea border withChina, is located at the start of the countries’ “Two Corridors, One Belt”economic cooperation zone, in the Nanning - Singapore Economic Corridor, andthe expanded Gulf of Tonkin inter-regional cooperation area under the ASEAN -China Free Trade Area.

Ithas signed 26 provincial-level agreements with Chinese localities. Via thesecooperative ties, the province has gradually established itself as “a gateway,a bridge” in the Vietnam - ASEAN - China cooperation, helping to achieve majoroutcomes in almost all areas, especially cross-border economic and tradepartnerships, road transport, border gate opening and upgrade, bordermanagement, and the fight against cross-border crimes.

In2020, the value of goods traded through Quang Ninh’s border gates approximated2.79 billion USD, including over 1.11 billion USD in exports, 980 million USDin imports, and 695 million USD worth of items temporarily imported forre-export or stored in bonded warehouses.

Ofthe total figure, Mong Cai city of the province posted over 1.09 billion USD inexports, nearly 1.04 billion USD in imports, and 694 million USD of goodstemporarily imported for re-export or stored in bonded warehouses. Hai Hadistrict recorded 3.5 million USD in exports and 4.5 million USD in imports,and Binh Lieu district had 16.6 million USD in exports and 65.9 million USD inimports.

OnJuly 16, 2021, authorities of Quang Ninh and the Guangxi Zhuang AutonomousRegion of China officially launched customs clearance through Bac Luan No 2Bridge, which links Mong Cai International Border Gate of Vietnam with DongxingBorder Gate of China.

Thetwo sides have also coordinated to complete infrastructure for Hoanh Mo - DongZhong border gate area so that this border gate pair will officially make debutin the near future.

Aftera hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, some local border gates, crossings,and sites for shipping goods to China have been reopened such as the Mong CaiInternational Border Gate and Bac Luan No 2 Bridge (on February 7, 2020), and theHoanh Mo Border Gate in Binh Lieu district (March 2, 2020). Bac Phong SinhBorder Gate in Hai Ha district resumed customs clearance on June 18 last yearand export and import activities less than one month later, on July 6.

Facingthe pandemic’s substantial impacts on trading, people’s exit from and entryinto the country, as well as cooperation between Quang Ninh and the GuangxiZhuang Autonomous Region, the provincial Party Committee has ordered relevantauthorities and localities to comply with the Party and Government’s directionswhile proactively adjusting plans so as to simultaneously curbing the outbreakand sustaining cooperation activities with the Chinese side.

Sincethe beginning of 2021, the administration of Mong Cai city has held fivemeetings with its Guangxi counterpart to work out measures to promote bilateraltrade.

Asa result, in spite of the pandemic’s impacts, the city’s environment for exportand import activities has continued to improve, more goods have been traded viaofficial channels, and the trade revenue has also been on the rise.

Asof May 31, Mong Cai recorded 1.47 billion USD in trade revenue, growing 14percent from a year earlier. The turnover included 628 million USD in imports,down 28 percent, and 842 million USD in exports, up 103 percent.

For2021, Quang Ninh province is moving to carry out the Party and State’s foreignpolicy and effectively implementing friendship exchanges and cooperationprogrammes with Guangxi. Its authorities and localities are also working tomaintain relations with their Guangxi counterparts in combating COVID-19,stepping up transport connectivity, upgrading border gate pairs, facilitatingcustoms clearance, and gradually resuming cross-border trade, investment, andtourism./.