Vietnam and China to accelerate construction of pilot smart border gate

A document to this effect was signed following talks on December 18 between representatives from the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) of Vietnam and the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA).

During the talks, Doan Thanh Son, deputy head of the administration of Lang Son province that houses Vietnam’s Friendship border gate, said the province is carrying out projects to upgrade its dedicated import-export road in tandem with the infrastructure system on the Chinese side.

To invest in infrastructure such as parking areas, equipment, and smart guiding vehicles for the operation of the smart border gate, he said Lang Son has issued directives to attract investment.

Addressing the event, the vice chairperson of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region that houses China’s Youyi Guan border gate, noted that building smart border gates is a common desire and a necessity for both Vietnam and China.

Guangxi will actively coordinate with Lang Son to implement the project at the border gate pair, said the official, adding China has completed the construction of inspection areas, loading and unloading yards, hard infrastructure, and information systems.

The project is planned for completion in 2025, and China is ready to assist Lang Son in areas such as design planning, smart system development, and infrastructure, he said.

In his closing remarks, MPI Deputy Minister Tran Quoc Phuong agreed with issues discussed and said both sides would work closely to undertake the pilot project in the shortest possible time.

Luo Zhaohui, director of CIDCA, expressed his satisfaction with the cooperation between China and Vietnam, saying Through the talks, both sides gained clearer understanding of the policies and reached an agreement on the cooperation direction, particularly on the smart border gate pilot project.

In addition to the smart border gate project, both sides also discussed cooperation in vocational training, and aid projects in the northern provinces of Vietnam.