HCM City (VNA) - Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Bui Xuan Cuong and visiting Vice Mayor of China’s Guangzhou City Lai Zhihong discussed measures to strengthen cooperation in urban infrastructure development and modern transport on September 26.
Cuong noted that the city’s Management Authority for Urban Railways (MAUR) and Guangzhou Metro Group have been cooperating under their signed Memorandum of Understanding. On September 8, MAUR signed a contract with the GMDI–TEDIS PCC ART Consortium for consultancy services on the feasibility study report, the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED), and bidding package under Metro Line No. 2 (Ben Thanh – Tham Luong).
These are key areas of collaboration between HCM City and Guangzhou, particularly as the city seeks to expand its transport infrastructure network. The overarching goal is to complete plans for seven metro lines with a total length of 355 km over the next 10 years.
He expressed his wish to work with Guangzhou to promote cooperation in developing logistics chains and seaport systems, capitalising on HCM City’s strategic position as the gateway for trade in the Mekong subregion and Guangzhou’s role as a key maritime hub in the global supply chain, as well as a crucial link in the Guangdong – Hong Kong – Macao Greater Bay Area development strategy.
The Vice Chairman also emphasised HCM City’s desire to cooperate with Guangzhou in priority sectors to enhance innovation capacity and strengthen integration into global value chains, particularly in areas where Guangzhou holds advantages such as high-tech industries, healthcare, and smart urban development.
Lai, in turn, praised the initial cooperation between the Guangzhou Metro Group and MAUR in implementing the city’s Metro Line No. 2 project. He noted that this demonstrated the vast potential for cooperation between the two cities, particularly in urban infrastructure development, smart transport, and environmental protection.
He emphasised that Guangzhou is home to strong State-owned enterprises in sectors such as urban railways, environment, and smart city construction. Lai expressed Guangzhou's desire to work with HCM City in areas like waste treatment and waste-to-energy incineration, where Guangzhou has extensive experience.
Guangzhou aims to collaborate with HCM City to enhance cooperation in various areas, boost trade connections, and promote meaningful exchanges between people. This initiative is designed to effectively implement the agreements made by high-level leaders of both countries regarding the advancement of the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership, as emphasised by the Vice Mayor./.
