Hai Phong (VNA) – A conference opened in HaiPhong city on November 22 with a view to promoting cooperation along theeconomic corridor of Vietnam’s Lao Cai province, Hanoi, Hai Phong city andQuang Ninh province and China’s Yunnan province.

The corridor’s 8th cooperation conferenceattracted more than 200 delegates, including representatives of the ConsulateGeneral of Vietnam in Yunnan’s Kunming city, the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry,the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam, authorities of the Vietnamese localities, andmany businesses.

Chairman of the Hai Phong municipal People’sCommittee Nguyen Van Tung said the conference is an initiative that aims tocreate prerequisites for diverse friendly exchanges and cooperation activities,especially in economy, between Vietnamese and Chinese localities.

He added the three-day event focuses ontransport connection and cooperation in logistics development; trade andinvestment cooperation; tourism, educational and health care cooperation; andcooperation in currency and insurance works.

It is also hoped to witness the signing ofcooperation documents on finance-currency, e-commerce and tourism betweenVietnamese and Chinese companies. Notably, Hai Phong and Yunnan expect to reachconsensus on an air route linking the Vietnamese city with Kunming and anexpress train connecting Hai Phong, Hanoi, Lao Cai and Kunming.

Chairman Tung said these are the most practicalactions to realise the outcomes of the recent talks between General Secretaryof the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong and General Secretary of theCommunist Party of China and President of China Xi Jinping.

Enhanced transport connectivity is among theoutcomes recorded since the economic corridor’s 7th cooperation conference in2015. Hanoi-Hai Phong expressway and Tan Vu-Lach Huyen highway and sea-crossingbridge have been put into operation. These two transport projects are alsoconnected to Hanoi-Lao Cai expressway, forming an expressway route from themountainous province of Lao Cai to Hai Phong port.

When the construction of Hai Phong-Ha Long expresswaycompletes in 2018, it will create an expressway network from Kunming to HaLong, thus facilitating goods transport and tourism.

The Vietnamese Ministry of Transport is planninga rail route traversing Lao Cai, Hanoi and Hai Phong. It is also negotiatingwith China about connecting Lao Cai and Hekou North railway stations.

In terms of trade and investment cooperation,Lao Cai and Yunnan provinces have rotationally hosted the Vietnam-China bordertrade fairs. Businesses of the Vietnamese localities have also taken part ininternational fairs in China such as the Vietnam-China border trade fair, theChina-South Asia Expo, and the KunmingImport & Export Commodities Fair.

Universities and educational establishments ofLao Cai, Hai Phong and Yunnan have maintained exchanges. Meanwhile, theprovinces and cities along the corridors have also coordinated in promotingtourism. 

Eight of the 11 commercial banks of Lao Cai haveinked agreements on cross-border trade payment with six commercial banks andcredit cooperatives of Yunnan. Their cooperation has strongly supportedbusinesses with import and export activities via Lao Cai International BorderGate, the conference heard.-VNA