Hanoi's First City Metro Built by Chinese Company Mirrors Enduring China-Vietnam Friendship

Chongqing - Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, arrived in Vietnam on Tuesday for a state visit, aiming to boost bilateral ties and cooperation.

During the two-day visit, the two sides will discuss upgrading China-Vietnam relations and work to deepen and substantiate the comprehensive strategic cooperation between the two countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said earlier.

Before this visit, in a signed article by President Xi for Nhan Dan Newspaper of Vietnam, titled "Building a China-Vietnam Community with a Shared Future That Carries Strategic Significance And Writing Together a New Chapter in Our Modernization Drive," he praised the success of Vietnam's Cat Linh-Ha Dong metro line, constructed by a Chinese firm. The metro has facilitated nearly 20 million passenger trips, significantly improving travel convenience in Hanoi.​

A Vietnamese couple took wedding photos along the Cat Linh-Ha Dong metro line. (Photo/China Railway Sixth Group Vietnam Company)

He also mentioned that China-Vietnam cross-border freight trains are running smoothly, the smart port program has been launched, and connectivity at land boundary ports has been advanced rapidly.

"We jointly drew up a blueprint for China-Vietnam relations in the new era from a strategic and long-term perspective, adding new dimensions to the relationship and raising it to a new stage," said President Xi in the signed article.

Cat Linh-Ha Dong metro line boosts urban mobility and economy

Bridging News explored the Cat Linh-Ha Dong metro line in Hanoi, Vietnam, this July. The 13.5-kilometer-long urban rail route, the city's first light rail project, was built by the sixth bureau of China Railway Engineering Corporation and commenced its entire operation in 2021.

Wang Bin, Chief Economic Engineer of China Railway Sixth Group Vietnam Company Limited, overseeing the railway's construction. "This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative," he said. "I think this railway boosts the China-Vietnam friendship."

While visiting, reporters observed that Hanoi's urban rail transit closely mirrors China's metro systems in design, color palette, and interior arrangement. It reflects the Chinese company's adherence to its national standards in every aspect, including specifications, construction techniques, materials, and overall management.

Vu Hong Truong, a representative of Hanoi Metro, stressed the railway's crucial impact on enhancing urban mobility and regional economic development. He underscored its significant contribution to the city's urban layout.

Furthermore, Vu Hong Truong pointed out the railway's environmental friendliness. "These benefits demonstrate why other Vietnamese cities should consider replicating Hanoi's initiative by investing in similar urban rail infrastructures," he concluded.

China-Vietnam freight train sparks business opportunities

For three consecutive years, Vietnam has solidified its position as Chongqing's largest trading partner within the ASEAN region, bolstered by the China-Vietnam cross-border train that created a fast lane linking Chongqing with ASEAN. 

In March 2022, the first China-Vietnam international freight train of the New International Land-sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC), a trade and logistics passage developed by the western Chinese provinces and Singapore, departed from Chongqing Guoyuan Port to Haiphong Industrial Zone in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. 

With Chongqing as the transport hub, the ILSTC integrates rail, maritime, and road transportation, which connects southwestern China with the rest of the world via the Qinzhou Port in Guangxi. There, goods are shipped to ports around the globe.

Previously, goods from Chongqing to Vietnam took an average of 20 days to travel using water transport to Shanghai. The China-Vietnam international freight train has revolutionized cargo transportation, reducing shipping time to five days for products made in Chongqing, such as engines, tires, and printing paper, to reach Vietnam.

This corridor has also resulted in lowered transportation costs, offering businesses in Chongqing and ASEAN easier access to each other's markets, and has played a pivotal role in strengthening economic ties and promoting bilateral investments. 

Notably, Vietnamese logistics companies are keen on the Chongqing logistics market and are exploring opportunities to utilize Chongqing as a hub transfer station. Expanding international markets, they aim to efficiently supply goods to third-party countries, such as Pakistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkey.

Nguyen Xuan Hung, vice president of the Hanoi Logistics Association, expressed hope that by leveraging Chongqing's gateway, they can better understand the demand for importing and exporting commodities from western China to Vietnam. 

He believes this will foster the circulation of more diverse products in the international market, boosting economic growth and cooperation between the two countries.