Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam and China have signed a technical cooperation agreement on planning two standard-gauge railways Hanoi – Dong Dang and Hai Phong – Ha Long – Mong Cai, marking progress in bilateral railway connectivity.
The signing took place during a meeting between Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Danh Huy and representatives of the International Economic Cooperation Agency of China’s Ministry of Commerce on March 25.
At the meeting, the Chinese side handed over the draft preliminary feasibility study report for the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong railway project to Vietnam’s Ministry of Construction.
Huy noted that Vietnam and China had recently signed four cooperation documents in the railway sector. The Ministry of Construction has directed relevant agencies to actively coordinate with their Chinese counterparts to study and implement relevant regulations, procedures and cooperation contents, achieving encouraging initial results.
He said that in the coming time, relevant agencies will continue to promote cooperation in line with the common direction of high-ranking leaders of both Parties and States on developing standard-gauge railways between the two countries, he said.
Zhang Guanbin, director general of the Chinese agency, emphasised that the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong railway is one of the key projects in bilateral cooperation.
Recognising the importance of the project, China has prepared the feasibility study, which was assessed as high-quality and reflective of the advanced research capacity of China’s railway sector.
Regarding the Hanoi – Dong Dang and Hai Phong – Ha Long – Mong Cai projects, Zhang said China will follow the model of the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong line, while ensuring quality and progress with the highest level of responsibility.
At the meeting, the Vietnam Railway Authority and the Chinese agency co-chaired discussions on the implementation of technical assistance projects for railways connecting Vietnam and China. The two sides exchanged views and reached a broad consensus on outstanding issues while agreeing to strengthen coordination in the coming period.
Earlier, in September 2025, Huy attended the first meeting of the Vietnam–China Joint Committee on Railway Cooperation, which aimed to promote railway collaboration and turn the sector into a symbolic highlight of the practical and strategic cooperation between the two countries./.
