The China-Vietnam railway project has been approved by the Vietnamese National Assembly.

According to a report by the electronic magazine "Vietnam Times," Yang Ye, a special correspondent in Vietnam, and reporter Chi Jingyi reported that the National Assembly of Vietnam voted on February 19 to pass the resolution for the investment project of the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Haiphong railway construction. At the regular press conference of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs held on the 19th, spokesperson Guo Jiakun commented on the project in response to inquiries, stating that since last year, China and Vietnam have exchanged views multiple times on promoting railway connectivity between the two countries, and both sides have agreed to accelerate the feasibility study of the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Haiphong standard gauge railway and the planning work for the Dong Dang-Hanoi and Mong Cai-Ha Long-Haiphong standard gauge railways, and to expedite the connection line work from China's Hekou to Vietnam's Lao Cai standard gauge railway. According to the feasibility study report submitted by the Vietnamese Ministry of Transport to the National Assembly, the railway is planned to start construction by the end of this year, with a construction period from 2026 to 2030. The Lao Cai-Hanoi-Haiphong railway is approximately 391 kilometers long, with a branch line of about 27.9 kilometers, passing through 9 provinces and cities: Lao Cai Province, Yen Bai Province, Phu Tho Province, Vinh Phuc Province, Hanoi City, Bac Ninh Province, Hai Duong Province, Hai Phong City. The total investment for the project is approximately 8.37 billion USD. The entire railway line is a new construction project, using a standard gauge of 1.435 meters, with a design speed of 160 kilometers per hour, undertaking both passenger and freight transport tasks. The starting point is at the connection with the track of Hekou North Station in Yunnan, China, and the endpoint is in Li District, Hai Phong City. The railway section passing through the Hanoi area is designed for a speed of 120 kilometers per hour, while the branch lines are designed for a speed of 80 kilometers per hour. Among them, the bridge sections account for about 29% of the entire line, tunnel sections account for about 7%, and ground sections account for about 64%. According to Vietnamese media reports, it is expected that once the railway is completed, it will cover 20% of the national population, drive 25.4% of GDP and 25.1% of industrial zones, and provide excellent transportation solutions for promoting the export of Vietnamese goods and the import of raw materials, contributing to improving the logistics efficiency of the railway system and promoting economic and social development. "This means that the Pan-Asian railway is gradually becoming a reality," said Xu Liping, a researcher at the Institute of Asia-Pacific and Global Strategy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, in an interview with the Global Times on the 19th. He stated that the future of the China-Vietnam railway will connect with the China-Thailand railway, realizing the dream of Pan-Asian railway connectivity. Xu Liping stated that once this railway is completed and put into operation, it will significantly enhance China-Vietnam trade and strengthen connectivity between China and Southeast Asia. In addition, connecting this railway with China's high-speed rail system and the Eurasian railway network will allow Vietnamese goods to be transported to Europe faster and cheaper through China, which will promote trade growth in Vietnam.