China offers Vietnam railway loans, technology; shows off its high-speed rail
By Liz Lee
BEIJING, April 17 (Reuters) – China has offered to strengthen ties with Vietnam over rail infrastructure, from loans to technology and education, as its neighbor’s top leader To Lam wrapped up a visit on Friday that included high-speed train rides through the country’s north and southwest.
China will guide enterprises to participate in railway construction projects in Vietnam, according to a joint statement issued by the foreign ministry, which hailed the effort as a “new bright spot” in strategic relations.
This reflected a call for greater transport and logistics links by President Xi Jinping and Lam, who met on Wednesday.
Xi told Lam, who made her first trip abroad since being elected Vietnam’s president last week, that neighbors should maintain clarity on strategy and prioritize political security.
“Infrastructure, and rail in particular, is emerging as one of China’s clearest priorities in Vietnam,” said Nguyen Khac Giang, a visiting researcher at the ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore.
Chinese state media showed photos of Lam taking a 10-hour high-speed train ride from the northern capital Beijing to Nanning in the southwestern province of Guangxi, bordering Vietnam, the day before her return to Hanoi.
He also took a high-speed train on Tuesday to visit Xiongan, an urban project in the northern province of Hebei.
Vietnam is a partner in China’s flagship Belt and Road Initiative for transport links between Asia and Europe, and many projects are financed through loans and investments by Chinese government agencies.
Official news agency Xinhua said the 32 deals signed this week included agreements for a railway feasibility study and related talent capacity-building efforts.
Giang added that the real test of the agreements will be experienced in their implementation, where political will is clearly demonstrated.
SECURITY ISSUES
Ties are warming as Vietnam increasingly shifts towards a governance model that mirrors China’s, and Lam’s recent consolidation of power mirrors her leadership.
The statement said law enforcement and security agencies will work more closely to exchange information and details on efforts to combat terrorism and cross-border crime, as well as counter interference and separatism.
They will also strengthen ties in many areas, from aerospace and technology, including 5G and big data, to new energy and critical minerals.
Vietnam’s budget airline Vietjet this week signed a lease agreement with China’s SPDB Financial Leasing for 10 C909 narrow-body aircraft from Shanghai-based COMAC.
(Reporting by Liz Lee; Additional reporting by Phuong Nguyen in Hanoi; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Clarence Fernandez)
