Vehicles carrying fresh fruit to the Tan Thanh border gate export area (Lang Son). Photo: Quang Duy/VNA

More than ever, both countries need a peaceful and stable environment to serve the strategic development goals of each country; together making efforts for peace, stability, cooperation and development. Local cooperation Since the two countries established a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in 2008, cooperation in all fields has achieved positive and comprehensive progress. Over the years, localities of the two countries have also built friendly and cooperative relations, creating important foundations and premises for socio-economic development, cultural exchange, and improving the material and spiritual life of the people... Lang Son is a mountainous and border province, with a national border adjacent to the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, of more than 231 km. Lang Son is also an important gateway for exchanges between Vietnam and China, as well as between ASEAN and China, not only in the economic and trade fields but also in the cultural and social fields... In recent years, Lang Son province has actively promoted and effectively promoted friendly exchanges, cooperation programs and mechanisms with the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, especially the Spring Meeting Program and the Joint Working Committee Conference mechanism between the four provinces: Quang Ninh, Lang Son, Cao Bang, Ha Giang (Vietnam) and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (China). The sectors, functional forces and localities of the two sides regularly maintain friendly exchanges, promote cooperation mechanisms, research and concretize the implementation of cooperation contents. The two sides effectively implemented cooperation in preventing and combating the COVID-19 pandemic as a basis for maintaining customs clearance activities, promoting economic cooperation, traffic connection, upgrading border gates, facilitating customs clearance, promoting import and export of goods, border management, cooperation in preventing and combating crimes, illegal entry and exit across the border; building a peaceful, friendly, cooperative and developing border area. The two sides have regularly and flexibly maintained exchanges and meetings between high-ranking leaders of the two provinces and regions, and have paid attention to directing Party committees at all levels, sectors, border districts and towns of the two sides to strengthen the organization of exchange activities, promote cooperation. Along with that, it is necessary to actively promote existing mechanisms and activities such as: Spring meetings between the Secretaries of the Provincial Party Committees of Lang Son, Quang Ninh, Cao Bang, Ha Giang (Vietnam) and the Secretaries of the Guangxi Regional Party Committee (China), the mechanism of the Joint Working Committee between the four border provinces of Vietnam and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (China) and many mechanisms of regular meetings, talks and cooperation between departments, branches, sectors, unions of the province, functional forces, districts and cities in the province. The province also organized a number of high-level delegations of the Provincial Party Committee, Provincial People's Council, Provincial People's Committee to visit and work in Guangxi, and at the same time welcomed high-level delegations of Guangxi to visit and work with Lang Son province. Through the working programs, the two sides have signed many important cooperation agreements. Leaders of the two sides also regularly maintain visits and congratulations on the occasion of the traditional New Year, the National Day and important political events of the two countries. The province has directed all levels, sectors, border districts and mass organizations to enhance friendly exchange activities, hold talks and sign cooperation agreements, organize cultural and sports exchanges, art performances, organize spring festivals for people on both sides of the border on the occasion of holidays, Tet, National Day of the two countries and cultural events, trade promotion, and tourism organized by both sides. The two sides create favorable conditions for people in the border areas to promote traditional neighborly relations, visit relatives, exchange, cooperate in business, exchange goods, and actively implement the establishment of friendly relations between border residential areas. Currently, 5 border districts and Lang Son city of Lang Son province have established international friendship district/town relations; 12 pairs of villages and hamlets have signed "twinning village and hamlet friendship" agreements with villages and hamlets on the opposite side of Guangxi. Cultural and sports exchange activities, youth exchanges are maintained and implemented. In addition, the two sides have also actively and effectively implemented foreign affairs activities and international cooperation in the fields of tourism, education and training, labor, agriculture and forestry, science and technology, administration, justice, and finance.

Tourists visit milestone 1116, Km0 Huu Nghi International Border Gate, Lang Son province. Photo: Quang Duy/VNA

In 2023, the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee and agencies of Lang Son province signed 12 agreements and memorandums of understanding on cooperation with partners of Guangxi, China (5 provincial-level documents, 7 department-level documents), creating a foundation for strongly restoring comprehensive cooperation activities between levels and sectors of the two sides in many fields after the COVID-19 pandemic. The signed agreements and memorandums of understanding on cooperation have been regularly focused on directing active and effective implementation. The leader of the Department of Foreign Affairs of Lang Son province said that in recent times, the Party Committee, government, functional sectors, and mass organizations of the province have increased exchanges and cooperation with corresponding agencies of Guangxi in many aspects and fields. The two sides have built a cooperative relationship in developing border gate economy; activities to ensure security, order, and safety in border areas, trade in goods, and cultural and artistic exchanges. Many new areas of cooperation have also been promoted by both sides, such as: Cooperation between the People's Council of Lang Son province and the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region; Red Cross Associations of the two provinces and regions; courts, judiciary, Youth Union, business sector... In the coming time, the two sides will continue to thoroughly grasp and effectively implement the common perceptions reached by the senior leaders of the two Parties and the two States from the State-level visits; maintain and promote the effectiveness of existing exchange and cooperation mechanisms; promote the leading role of the Spring meeting program. The two sides will strengthen effective exchange and cooperation between local Party committees, exchange information, share experiences, survey models, promote specific cooperation activities; encourage and create conditions to strongly promote people-to-people exchange, cultural and social exchange. The two sides are interested in directing cooperation in key areas such as: Disease prevention and control, investment, trade, logistics, traffic connection, tourism, customs clearance facilitation, opening and upgrading border gates, border management, judicial administration, security assurance, law enforcement and crime prevention and control, healthcare, culture, education and vocational training, finance - banking... At the meeting with Lang Son Provincial Party Secretary Nguyen Quoc Doan on March 30, 2023, Mr. Luu Ninh, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (China) affirmed: Lang Son is an important neighboring province connected to Guangxi, with geographical advantages and great cooperation potential. The cooperative relationship between the two sides is increasingly deepening in all fields. Guangxi will strive to create favorable conditions for Vietnamese goods, especially agricultural products, to enter the Chinese market... Developing border gate economy

Customs clearance activities at Huu Nghi International Border Gate (Dong Dang town, Cao Loc district, Lang Son province). Photo: Van Dat/VNA

In recent years, Lang Son province has always focused on rapidly developing the border gate economy, creating momentum to promote economic growth. The province has concretized and flexibly applied the policies of the Party and the State, especially the mechanism of prioritizing investment in developing border gate economic zones. The Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, and Provincial People's Committee have had many policies and strategies on developing border gate economic zones to promote growth and economic restructuring, import-export activities, immigration, budget collection, etc. Before the COVID-19 outbreak, Lang Son province had 10 border gates operating for trading goods, contributing to the local socio-economic development. However, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, only the main border gates such as Tan Thanh, Huu Nghi, Chi Ma, and Dong Dang international railway station maintained customs clearance activities. After the epidemic was controlled, the authorities of Lang Son province actively worked, discussed and exchanged with the authorities of Guangxi, China to remove difficulties and obstacles, gradually reopening border gates. Currently, import and export activities are taking place bustlingly at 7 border gates including: Huu Nghi international border gate; Chi Ma main border gate; Tan Thanh, Coc Nam, Na Hinh, Na Nua sub-border gates and Dong Dang international railway station border gate. In 2023, the average number of vehicles carrying import and export goods through Lang Son border gates will reach about 1,100 - 1,350 vehicles/day. The total import and export turnover through the province is estimated at 4,925 million USD, reaching 129% of the plan, up more than 60% over the same period. Local exports in 2023 are estimated to reach 156 million USD, reaching 101% of the plan, up 9.9% over the same period... In order to make border gate economy one of the pillars of socio-economic development, in June 2023, the leaders of the People's Committee of Lang Son province (Vietnam) and representatives of the government of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (China) signed a Framework Agreement on promoting the pilot construction of smart border gates at the border gates of Huu Nghi (Vietnam) - Huu Nghi Quan (China), Tan Thanh (Vietnam) - Po Chai (China). The People's Committee of Lang Son province has completed the pilot project to build a smart border gate model on the specialized route for transporting goods in the area of ​​Huu Nghi international border gate and Tan Thanh border gate, which is currently being submitted to the Government for consideration and approval. With the smart border gate model, Lang Son strives to increase customs clearance capacity at Huu Nghi and Tan Thanh border gates by about 4-5 times compared to the present by 2030. In particular, this model will solve the congestion of goods at the border gate area, reduce transportation costs, customs clearance of import and export goods, create a favorable business environment, attract businesses to participate in import and export... Chairman of Lang Son Provincial People's Committee Ho Tien Thieu said that with many flexible and creative solutions suitable to the actual situation of the locality, in recent years, Lang Son has achieved positive results in all areas from socio-economic development, international cooperation, investment attraction, ensuring national defense and security. In 2023, the province has implemented and achieved 16/18 targets and plans. The province's economy has developed quite comprehensively. The growth rate of gross regional domestic product (GRDP) reached 7%. GRDP per capita is estimated at 59.8 million VND, an increase of more than 8 million VND compared to 2022. State budget revenue reached over 7,792 billion VND...