Officials from Vietnam’s northern mountainous province of Ha Giang and China’s southern province of Yunnan on May 20 signed an agreement forging cross-border bilateral economic links.

The signatories were Nguyen Dinh Bay, Director of the Ha Giang Department of Industry and Trade, and Wang Guang Hai, head of the Zhou Wen Shan Trade Office.

Both officials held talks in Ha Giang province during the day to increase bilateral economic and socio-cultural exchanges as well as expand trade in each market.

They have also sought to make it easier for local residents to do business, especially through the Thanh Thuy (Ha Giang)-Tian Bao (Yunnan) international border gate.

Ha Giang has so far granted licences to 13 investment projects run by Chinese firms and valued at 19.6 million USD.

Cross-border bilateral trade was recorded at 400 million USD in 2013 and 86 million USD in the first five months of this year.-VNA