Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on March 11 signed a decision to set up the Cao Bang Border Gate Economic Zone in the northern mountainous province of Cao Bang.

Accordingly, the new zone is formed on the basis of merging three existing border gate economic zones, namely Ta Lung, Tra Linh and Soc Giang.

It has a total area of over 30,130 hectares, covering 37 communes and three towns from Thach An district to Thong Nong district.

Under the decision, the Cao Bang Border Gate Economic Zone will include a non-tariff area and functional areas such as international border gates, industrial parks, financial and administrative centres, and urban and residential areas.

Cao Bang is a province located in the northeastern part of Vietnam with more than 333 km of border shared with China.

The zone is expected to help turn the country’s mountainous areas into an economic, commercial and service hub in the integration process between ASEAN and China.-VNA