Warm handshakes in the misty town of Sa Pa, Lao Cai province, have officially materialized a new historical milestone in cross-border regional cooperation. The signing of the Minutes of the 12th Cooperation Conference on the Economic Corridor of Five Provinces and Cities: Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong - Quang Ninh (Vietnam) and Yunnan (China) is not merely a diplomatic ritual, but a powerful affirmation of a collective will to action to deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership and co-cultivate a Vietnam-China Community with a Shared Future of strategic significance.
Witnessed by the high-level leaders of the four Vietnamese localities and the Deputy Secretary of the Yunnan Provincial Party Committee, Liu Hongjian, the conference once again demonstrated the stature of a model cross-border economic corridor. Looking back on the journey since the 11th Conference in Mengzi (Yunnan, late 2024), despite facing numerous global geo-economics challenges, the localities have persevered in dialogue and built trust. Today, in Sa Pa, they have opened a new cycle of development: more substantive, smarter, and geared toward sustainable green growth.
The Hai Phong delegation attended the 13th Economic Corridor Conference in Lao Cai.
Strategic vision: The "veins" of trade and the digital revolution
If we consider an economic corridor as a living organism, then transport infrastructure and customs clearance mechanisms are the veins determining its prosperity. The Minutes of the 12th Conference have put a decisive pen stroke on game-changing infrastructure projects.
- Standard-Gauge Transport Backbone and the Dream of Speed
The breakthrough focus highly agreed upon by all parties is accelerating the implementation of the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong standard-gauge railway project, which directly connects with China's railway network. This is the ultimate solution to the long-standing transport bottleneck caused by non-standardized track gauges in the legacy railway system. Concurrently, promoting the planning of the Mong Cai - Ha Long - Hai Phong railway is regarded as the next strategic preparation to complete the coastal northern transport corridor.
On land, border gate infrastructure is on the verge of a major transformation. The consensus to speed up the construction of the road bridge across the Red River in the Bat Xat (Vietnam) - Ba Sai (China) area, along with completing procedures to open the Ban Vuoc - Ba Sai customs clearing point early, will open a bustling new gateway. Not only on the ground, but the sky is also being cleared as all parties agreed to effectively exploit existing direct flights such as Kunming - Hanoi and Lijiang - Hanoi, and particularly a new direct route connecting the ancient tourist hub of Lijiang with the port city of Hai Phong.
- When Borders Lose Distance: Smart Border Gates
A highly prominent highlight that guides the future trend in this agreement is the joint support to pilot the "Smart Border Gate" model at the Kim Thanh (Lao Cai) - Bac Son (Hekou) road bridge crossing, utilizing Automated Guided Vehicles and Intelligent Guided Vehicles (AGVs/IGVs).
- Digital transformation, green economy, and people-to-people cooperation
This is a revolutionary step to maximize customs clearance capacity, allowing Vietnamese specialty agricultural products such as medicinal herbs, durians, passion fruits, coffee, pomelos, and fresh seafood to penetrate deep into mainland China in the fastest way, while efficiently importing agricultural machinery and equipment and sturgeon from Yunnan. The integration of modern physical infrastructure and digital transformation in border management will unleash the full potential of cooperation that has previously remained under-exploited.
Hai Phong: from a trade hub to a sustainable "green port city"
In the strategic chessboard of the 5-province economic corridor, Hai Phong holds a unique position as the largest gateway to the sea for the entire Northern region and Southwest China. The commitments made in the 12th Conference Minutes have opened up historic breakthrough expectations for the City of Red Flamboyant Flowers.
- Becoming the Focal Point of the Cross-Border Logistics Chain
The Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong standard-gauge railway will connect directly to the Lach Huyen International Gateway Port. With Hai Phong proactively taking a step ahead by commencing construction of the resettlement area in Duong Kinh and Hai Duong Nam station to serve land clearance, the terrestrial infrastructure is fully prepared to receive massive flows of cargo.
This connectivity will transform Lach Huyen Port—which is being strongly upgraded with berths 3, 4, 5, and 6 scheduled for completion in 2025, and berths 7 and 8 preparing for operation in 2027—into the largest international transit port, minimizing multimodal transport times from deep within China's mainland to the global market. This is the perfect answer to optimize cold-chain logistics and a sustainable cross-border supply chain.
- Welcoming the Wave of Green and High-Tech FDI
As the world transitions into the green era, Hai Phong is not staying out of the game. The Minutes of the 12th Conference emphasized cooperation in developing new energy, green industry, and eco-industrial parks.
With professional human resource preparation—exemplified by Hai Phong proactively dispatching specialized officials from the Departments of Industry and Trade, and Agriculture and Environment to Yunnan for green energy training in late 2025—the city is crafting its own "green passport." This is a core competitive advantage for Hai Phong to attract a new generation of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from leading Chinese technology groups into high-value-added sectors, accelerating the circular growth model.
- Opening the Doors to Heritage Tourism
Promoting the direct flight route Lijiang - Hai Phong is a highly astute move. It connects not only two economic centers but also two world-class heritage treasures: the Ancient Town of Lijiang and the Cat Ba Archipelago in Hai Phong.
Under the framework of the "Vietnam-China Tourism Cooperation Year 2026 - 2027" and the "Two Nations - Six Destinations" linked tourist route, Hai Phong has an excellent opportunity to reposition its smokeless industry, shifting from seasonal tourism to high-end experiential tourism, thus attracting high-spending visitors from the vast Southwest China region.
- Historic mission in 2028: Asserting the role of regional connectivity leader
One of the most symbolic and practical highlights for the port city is solemnly recorded in the 12th Conference Minutes: The 13th Cooperation Conference on the Economic Corridor of Five Provinces and Cities will be hosted in Hai Phong City in 2028.
Hosting this event is an acknowledgment of Hai Phong's role as a coordinating and connecting hub of the entire corridor. From now until 2028 will be the "golden window" for the city to concentrate resources on completing strategic connectivity mega-infrastructure projects: from the Hanoi - Quang Ninh high-speed railway, the Ninh Binh - Hai Phong expressway, and researching the planning of Nam Do Son - Van Uc seaport, to upgrading Cat Bi International Airport with Passenger Terminal T2 and a new cargo terminal.
When top leaders and businesses converge in Hai Phong in 2028, they will not just see commitments on paper; they will witness a modern, smart, and highly livable Green Port City in the Gulf of Tonkin standing in reality. The 12th Sa Pa Minutes have drawn a sharp roadmap. Hai Phong, with the spirit of a resilient, sea-facing engine of growth, holds the golden key to transforming the Kunming - Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hải Phòng - Quảng Ninh economic corridor into an eternal growth engine, contributing to the creation of a prosperous and sustainable Vietnam-China Community with a Shared Future.