Lang Son (VNA) – Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People’s Committee of northern Lang Son province Nguyen Canh Toan held local talks with Wei Tao, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (China) on November 27 to tighten cross-border economic and security ties.
Toan hailed the Lang Son-Guangxi relationship as a standout success within the broader Vietnam-China Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership and the orientation toward building a Vietnam–China Community with a shared future, citing robust people-to-people links across culture, sports, education, health care, border management and crime prevention, plus fresh momentum in digital transformation, smart border gates, logistics, artificial intelligence, and the digital economy.
Cross-border trade via border gates, dedicated routes, and customs checkpoints between Lang Son and Guangxi remain stable and smooth, bolstered by upgraded and expanded specialised cargo routes and the ongoing pilot smart border gate project at the Huu Nghi–Youyi Guan international border gate pair, while the restored Hanoi-Nanning passenger train has opened new channels for people-to-people exchanges, tourism, and trade.
He proposed both sides thoroughly realise high-level common perceptions and agreements reached at the 2025 early spring meeting and the 16th Joint Working Committee’s meeting while gearing up for 2026 early spring meeting and the 17th meeting in Nanning. He pushed for rapid rollout of new cargo procedures at Huu Nghi–Youyi Guan and Chi Ma–Ai Dian gates, plus formal launch of the Tan Thanh–Po Chai freight route to maximise throughput to domestic and third-country markets.
The Vietnamese host asked Guangxi to extend operating hours and upgrade roads at the Coc Nam– Nong Yao crossing to match rising trade volumes, and called for regular information exchange and close coordination in immigration management and the fight against cross-border crime to ensure a peaceful, friendly, and stable border that supports socio-economic development.
Toan invited Guangxi’s capable, high-tech, green-tech firms to invest in Lang Son’s renewable energy, agro-forestry processing, supporting industries, electronic components, logistics, and warehouse centres linked to border gate systems.
Lang Son commits to all possible support for Guangxi investors and stands ready to share its experience in administrative reform and digital governance, he said, expecting to learn from Guangxi’s experience in smart urban development, traffic management, environment protection, and quality tourism.
To further deepen friendly cooperative ties, Wei called on Lang Son to accelerate the construction of its smart border gates. Smart border gate components on the Guangxi side are on track for pilot operation by year-end and ready to connect with Lang Son’s system. He urged Lang Son to direct relevant agencies to coordinate swiftly so that the two systems can operate synchronously and efficiently. He also stressed the need to boost transport and infrastructure connectivity, especially the railway link between Vietnam and China through the region.
The guest expressed strong interest in expanding cross-border tourism cooperation, pointing out that Vietnam has become a top draw for Chinese travelers while Guangxi hosted roughly 150,000 Vietnamese visitors in the first 10 months of 2025, with ample untapped potential still ahead./.
