Communications｜China-Vietnam trains run in both directions and enter the -fast lane- of international trade

In October, the Đông Anh station in Hanoi, Vietnam, lights up in the early hours as cranes busily load containers onto the China-Vietnam freight train. A specially arranged train carrying over 500 tons of timber departs for Guangxi, China. This shipment is part of the raw materials for papermaking sourced by the Liva Paper Products Company in southern Vietnam.

Zhang Cunwei, Chairman of Vietnam International Land Port Operating Company, explains, “Previously, many trains were filled with assorted cargo, but now we often see multiple containers carrying the same type of goods. We have also initiated specialized trains for various products, including agricultural goods.”

In recent months, Zhang has been actively preparing for the launch of a special train for fresh coconuts, traveling to major coconut-producing regions in southern Vietnam. In August, both countries signed a protocol regarding the export of fresh coconuts to China, and preparations are underway to create a fast lane for this trade.

According to Nguyen Hoang Anh, Deputy General Manager of Vietnam Railway Transport and Trade Company, the China-Vietnam freight train service began in 2017, initially transporting simpler goods. It has since evolved to encompass over 300 types of products. Vietnamese exports range from agricultural products to electronics and textiles, while China primarily sends raw materials and construction supplies.

Nguyen noted that the freight service operates in both directions, connecting Vietnamese goods to more than 20 provinces in China and linking to the China-Europe freight routes leading to Central Asia and Europe. Chinese goods are also transported to neighboring ASEAN nations like Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Malaysia via Vietnam.

“With the support and promotion from both countries’ railway departments, an increasing number of businesses are opting for rail transport,” Nguyen said. “The China-Vietnam train service effectively shortens transportation times and reduces costs, significantly boosting trade between our nations.”

China has maintained its status as Vietnam’s largest trading partner for several consecutive years, while Vietnam is China’s top trading partner within ASEAN. The bustling freight traffic at the Pingxiang Railway Port, located along the China-Vietnam border in Guangxi, vividly illustrates the dynamic flow of international trade between the two countries.

On the ground, Xie Liping, an assistant translator at the Nanning Railway Bureau’s Pingxiang Station, shared, “Today alone, we dispatched five trains.” The normalization of the China-Vietnam train service has made their operations increasingly busy.

Since the Nanning-Hanoi cross-border container train service was first launched by the Nanning Railway Bureau in 2017, monthly operations have surged from fewer than five trains to multiple record-breaking months in just the first half of this year. Data reveals that by September 30, over 10,000 TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) had been shipped from Guangxi, reaching an all-time high of 10,380 TEUs.

This progress is attributed to the collaborative efforts between China and Vietnam. In 2023, the Nanning Railway Bureau successfully completed speed upgrades on the Xiong-Guangxi railway section, raising the train speeds on the China-Vietnam International Railway Corridor to 90 kilometers per hour.

“Previously, we used to export PVC to Vietnam via sea shipping, but switching to the China-Vietnam freight train saves us 3 to 5 days,” said Zhu Shiqiang, a business manager at Sinotrans Guangxi Ltd.

“Stable capacity, consistent pricing, and reliable transit times have increased the market appeal of this route. Now, it reaches deep into the southwest and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area.” Peng Weijun, Deputy Director of the Logistics Service Center at Nanning Railway Bureau, added that this year they also organized a new “Rail + Rail” connection from Guangzhou to Nanning and Vietnam, creating a fresh cross-border logistics channel for exports from the Greater Bay Area.

Looking forward to January 2024, both countries’ rail companies plan to set a comprehensive timetable for the China-Vietnam freight trains to significantly reduce transport durations. The journey from Nanning, China, to Anyuan Station in Vietnam will be shortened from over 40 hours to as fast as 14 hours, marking a notable improvement in transport efficiency.

Nguyen Hoang Anh emphasized that the Vietnamese government and railway companies are planning further investments to enhance railway infrastructure, including station and cargo yard improvements, to strengthen integration with Chinese railways and boost transportation capacity between the two nations.