Vietnam, China and other countries should work together to develop transport networks.

Carrying out the Prime Minister's assignment, on September 13 and 14, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung led the Vietnamese delegation to attend the 8th conference with the theme "Celebrating 10 years of the Belt and Road Initiative" in Hong Kong, China.

Belt and Road Initiative - a catalyst for regional cooperation and development

According to information from the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the conference was chaired by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (China), with the participation of leaders from several ASEAN , Middle Eastern, and European countries; representatives of corporations and international organizations... The conference was held to strengthen international cooperation and explore new opportunities for economic growth.

Minister Nguyen Chi Dung talks with Hong Kong Chief Executive Lee Ka-Chiu on the sidelines of the conference. Photo: MINISTRY OF PHILOSOPHY AND INVESTMENT

Themed "Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative", the conference highlighted the remarkable progress made through the Belt and Road Initiative . The conference attracted nearly 6,000 senior government officials, business leaders, and entrepreneurs from nearly 70 countries and regions.

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was initiated by China and launched in 2013 with the goal of promoting regional cooperation and connectivity in five important areas: policy, transportation, finance, trade and people-to-people connectivity.

After 10 years of cooperation and development, BRI has attracted the participation and cooperation of more than 100 countries and international organizations; more than 3,000 projects have been implemented globally with a total capital of nearly 1,000 billion USD.

Speaking at the policy discussion session themed "The Belt and Road Initiative - a catalyst for regional cooperation and development", Minister Nguyen Chi Dung said that Vietnam has a "bridge" position between China and Southeast Asian countries. Therefore, cooperation between Vietnam and China within the BRI framework is meaningful in promoting regional cooperation and connectivity.

Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung speaks at the conference. Photo: MINISTRY OF PLANNING AND INVESTMENT

The Ministry of Planning and Investment and the National Development and Reform Commission of China are pushing to conclude negotiations on a connection plan between the Two Corridors, One Belt framework and the Belt and Road Initiative.

According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, as of August 2023, Chinese investors had nearly 4,000 projects in Vietnam, with a total registered capital of 26 billion USD, ranking 6th out of 143 countries and territories investing in Vietnam.

In the first 8 months of this year, China was the second largest investor in Vietnam with a total newly registered capital of nearly 2.7 billion USD.

In terms of trade, China has always been Vietnam's largest partner, largest goods supplier and second largest export market.

Vietnam invites investment with the spirit of "harmonious benefits, shared risks"

At the policy discussion, Minister Nguyen Chi Dung shared about Vietnam's economic development situation and experience. Accordingly, in recent years, Vietnam has effectively implemented 3 strategic "breakthroughs" on institutional reform, infrastructure development, and improving the quality of human resources.

Minister Nguyen Chi Dung talks with UAE Minister of Economy. Photo: MINISTRY OF PHILOSOPHY AND INVESTMENT

At the same time, Vietnam is focusing on renewing the growth model based on science - technology and innovation, promoting human resources; actively implementing digital transformation, green transformation, aiming for zero net emissions by 2050 and becoming a high-income developed country by 2045.

Minister Nguyen Chi Dung welcomes and welcomes international investors in general, and Hong Kong in particular, to invest in Vietnam in the spirit of "harmonious benefits, shared risks", equality, sincerity, mutual benefit, and respect for international law.

In order for the Belt and Road Initiative to continue to be a "catalyst for regional cooperation and development" in the coming time, Minister Nguyen Chi Dung proposed a number of recommendations such as: Vietnam, China and countries in the region need to strengthen policy connectivity, actively exchange information and share development experiences.

Countries in the region are accelerating development and connecting transport networks, especially railway networks. At the same time, they are promoting trade facilitation and opening up markets for goods and agricultural products from each country.

thanhnien.vn