Against the backdrop of the deepening of the "the Belt and Road" initiative and the increasingly urgent need for regional connectivity, at the invitation of the National Development and Reform Commission of China, Nguyen Minghui, vice minister of the Ministry of Construction of Vietnam and chairman of Vietnam, led a Vietnamese inter departmental working delegation to attend the first meeting of the Vietnam China Railway Cooperation Joint Committee in Beijing from September 23 to 24, 2025, and pressed the "accelerator" for Vietnam China railway connectivity.

The significance of this meeting is extraordinary. It is a key measure to implement the important consensus of the senior leaders of the two countries on strengthening cooperation and accelerating the promotion of the Vietnam China Interconnection Railway Project. It aims to promote the implementation of the Intergovernmental Agreement on Cross border Standard Gauge Railway Cooperation Projects and the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Construction of Vietnam and the National Development and Reform Commission of China on the establishment of the Vietnam China Railway Cooperation Committee. This is not only the in-depth cooperation between Vietnam and China in the railway field, but also an important practice of regional connectivity under the framework of the "the Belt and Road".

Ruan Minghui emphasized at the meeting that railway cooperation plays an important role in the Vietnam China community of shared destiny relationship. At present, with good political and diplomatic relations between the two countries, railway cooperation has been identified as a priority area for promotion and has become a key symbol of pragmatic cooperation between the two countries. This fully reflects the profound understanding of both sides on the important role of railway interconnection in promoting regional economic integration and enhancing trade facilitation.

Under the guidance of Prime Ministers Pham Minh jung and Li Qiang of both countries, the Ministry of Construction of Vietnam and the National Development and Reform Commission of China actively played a leading and coordinating role in promoting railway cooperation to deepen and become more practical. The establishment of the Vietnam China Railway Cooperation Joint Committee in April this year is the result of the joint efforts of relevant institutions and units from both sides, which has received strong policy support from the governments of the two countries. The close technical exchanges and cooperation have also provided solid support for enterprises to participate in cooperation.

The meeting focused on the specific issues of promoting the Vietnam China Interconnection Railway Project, and conducted in-depth discussions on the feasibility study, technical design, and financing cooperation of the Lao Cai Hanoi Haiphong standard gauge railway section. It also explored the planning of standard gauge railways for the Tongdeng Hanoi section and the Mangjie Ha Long Haiphong section. Both sides have had frank and pragmatic exchanges on issues such as railway human resources training and railway industry cooperation, and have made substantial progress.

During the visit, the "Technical Assistance Project Implementation Agreement" signed between the Ministry of Construction of Vietnam and the Ministry of Commerce of China provided technical support for the feasibility study of the Lao Cai Hanoi Hai Phong railway in Vietnam, further promoting the implementation of the project. Previously, Nguyen Minh Fai visited the Embassy of Vietnam in China to exchange views on promoting the coordination of railway cooperation between Vietnam and China, and to remove obstacles for the smooth progress of cooperation. Keywords: the Belt and Road news and information, the Belt and Road key projects

Vietnam China railway cooperation is moving steadily along the "the Belt and Road" track, injecting strong impetus into regional connectivity, which is expected to become a steel link connecting the two countries and promoting regional common development, writing a new chapter in the "the Belt and Road" cooperation.Editor/Cheng Liting