China's western regions unveil new dynamics in economic cooperation with Vietnam

A shipment of fresh lemons departing from Tongnan District of southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, can now arrive in Vietnam in just two days, covering a journey of some 1,300 km.

The first delivery of 28 tonnes of chilled fresh lemons from Tongnan to Vietnam was made recently on a cross-border highway truck via the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor.

"This route slashes transit time from six days to two days, ensuring Vietnamese consumers enjoy fresher produce," said Hu Zaiyang, manager of a local fruit dealer.

This vibrant trade scene underscores the deepening economic ties between China's western regions and Vietnam. From electronic components to fruits and flowers and from smart home appliances to daily necessities, trade volume between the two sides has surged, buoyed by the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Vietnam has remained the largest ASEAN trade partner among China's western provincial-level regions. Chongqing's 2024 trade with Vietnam hit 39.77 billion yuan (about 5.5 billion U.S. dollars), accounting for a third of its total trade volume with ASEAN.

Youyiguan Port in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, a gateway to Vietnam, is piloting a brand new customs supervision model, using intelligent means to improve efficiency and capacity of customs clearance.

In the future, the port will operate customs clearance around the clock and goods can be delivered from Nanning, the regional capital of Guangxi, to Vietnam's Bac Giang within 24 hours, said Shi Lei, deputy director of Youyiguan Customs.

Beyond trade, investment cooperation has continued to bring benefits to the people of both sides. In Bac Ninh and Bac Giang, Vietnam, modern industrial parks invested and constructed by Chinese new energy and electronics manufacturing firms are driving local employment and growth.

Chongqing's 2024 investments in Vietnam jumped 33.4 percent to 33.16 million U.S. dollars in sectors like general equipment and automotive manufacturing. As of the end of 2024, Chongqing had 24 investment projects in Vietnam, with cumulative factual investments totaling 213.4 million U.S. dollars.

In Vietnam's Ha Tinh province, CISDI Group Co., Ltd., based in Chongqing, set up its branch as early as 2013. The company has taken charge of multiple key metallurgical projects in the country. Among them, the blast furnace of Formosa Ha Tinh Steel, which CISDI planned, designed and took part in constructing and operating, has now become one of the most competitive integrated steel complexes in Southeast Asia, generating over 10,000 job opportunities for local people.

This elevated Ha Tinh from a traditional agricultural province to an industrial powerhouse in central Vietnam.

Since 2007, Sichuan-based Tongwei Co., Ltd. has established and acquired five standardized feed production companies in Vietnam, with total investments exceeding 500 million yuan. The first feed mill it invested in, Tongwei Vietnam Feed Co., Ltd., has become one of the top-selling single feed factories in Vietnam by sales volume.

"The BRI fosters mutual growth," said Xiao Shengyong, Tongwei's chief tax officer, highlighting technology transfers and aquaculture partnerships.

The two countries recently signed 45 cooperation documents, covering connectivity, artificial intelligence, customs inspection and quarantine, and agricultural trade, among others.

With the gradual implementation of the cooperation documents, Vietnam-China relations will enter a more mature and stable development stage, which will be not only reflected in policy communication and high-level interaction, but also in people's daily life, said Vo Dai Luoc, former director of Vietnam's Institute of World Economics and Politics.