Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong Railway: China is ready to provide aid to prepare a feasibility report

The Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway line is expected to have a total investment of 11.6 billion USD. China has affirmed its readiness to provide aid to Vietnam to develop the feasibility report for this project.

Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu (left) during a meeting with Mr. Luo Zhaohui, head of CIDCA, on December 9 - Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

According to information from the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on December 11, within the framework of activities marking the 16th session of the Vietnam-China Bilateral Cooperation Steering Committee, Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu met with the Director General of the China National Development and Cooperation Administration (CIDCA), Luo Zhaohui.

Accelerate the construction of 3 railway lines connecting Vietnam and China.

During discussions on several specific projects at the meeting on December 9th, Permanent Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Vu requested that China promptly approve grant aid to help Vietnam prepare a feasibility study report for the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway line project.

Regarding the two remaining future railway lines connecting with China – Dong Dang - Hanoi and Mong Cai - Ha Long - Hai Phong – Mr. Vu suggested coordinating efforts to expedite the planning and implementation.

Mr. Vu, who is also the Secretary-General of the Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation, also proposed expediting the signing of the document confirming the allocation of non-refundable ODA for the repair and maintenance project of the Vietnam-China Friendship Palace, and completing the dossier for the implementation of the project to build a new second campus for the Vietnam Academy of Traditional Medicine.

During the meeting, the Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam requested that China promptly approve funding for four social and people's welfare projects in Tuyen Quang, Bac Kan, and Yen Bai provinces from the 600 million yuan (over 2 trillion VND) aid package; and continue to effectively coordinate the implementation of human resource training cooperation.

Appreciating the cooperation proposals of Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Vu, Director General of CIDCA La Chieu Huy affirmed his readiness to work with Vietnam to effectively implement the high-level common understanding.

China will prioritize Vietnam's access to multilateral cooperation funds under the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation.

Regarding the three aforementioned railway lines, the head of CIDCA stated that China is ready to provide assistance to support Vietnam in developing a feasibility report for the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway line, to cooperate in planning the Dong Dang - Hanoi and Mong Cai - Ha Long - Hai Phong railway lines, and to support the training of railway personnel.

The Chinese side will also expedite the implementation of the repair and maintenance project for the Vietnam-China Friendship Palace, and the construction of a new campus for the Vietnam Academy of Traditional Medicine; striving to bring the projects and documents signed between the two countries in the field of development cooperation into reality as soon as possible.

The target is to start construction in 2025.

The Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway line is approximately 417km long, with a gauge of 1,435mm and is electrified. In the future, this line will connect with Kunming in Yunnan province, China.

The total investment for the project is estimated at approximately $11.6 billion. Once operational, it will be possible to run passenger trains at speeds of around 160 km/h and freight trains at speeds of around 120 km/h.

During his working visit to China in November 2024, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that this railway line is very important, contributing to connecting the "Belt and Road" framework and the "Two Corridors, One Economic Belt". Through this, Yunnan province will have faster access to the sea, contributing to the socio-economic development and poverty reduction of Vietnam's northern border provinces.

The head of government also stated that Vietnam is determined to focus on building this road, with the goal of commencing construction in 2025.

China provided a grant to develop a detailed plan for the new Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway line and handed over the study results in August 2024.

To expedite progress and ensure project quality, the Vietnamese Ministry of Transport has approved non-refundable technical assistance to review the pre-feasibility study report. China has also sent experts to provide technical support since October 2024 to coordinate with Vietnamese consultants in the preparation of the pre-feasibility study report.

Connecting railways not only benefits Vietnam by ensuring domestic supply chains, but also benefits China and other Southeast Asian countries. The immediate benefits include shorter transport times, cost savings, and increased customs clearance volume.

Vietnamese goods exported to China could penetrate deeper into other markets such as Russia, especially after General Secretary To Lam's visit to Mongolia in September 2024.

Mongolia has declared its support for Vietnam's participation in the trilateral international road transport agreement between Russia, Mongolia, and China, and has agreed to continue studying the establishment of a mechanism for goods transport among the three countries: Vietnam, China, and Mongolia.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/duong-sat-lao-cai-ha-noi-hai-phong-trung-quoc-san-ready-to-assist-in-the-feasibility-report-20241211170042624.htm