Recently, the progress of cooperation between the Vietnamese government and China in the field of high-speed rail has once again become a focus of attention from the outside world. Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Thang recently made it clear that Vietnam needs China's support to promote the development of its high-speed rail network, marking the second time Vietnam has sounded the horn of construction after nearly 20 years of shelving high-speed rail projects.

Vietnam's desire for high-speed rail has a long history. Early onIn 2001, the Vietnamese government began planning for a high-speed railway project and planned to build a north-south high-speed railway with a total length of about 1500 kilometers by 2035, connecting the capital Hanoi with the economic center Ho Chi Minh City. However, the project has been put on hold multiple times due to funding, technology, and policy issues, and has yet to commence construction. Despite this, Vietnam's desire for high-speed rail has not diminished. On the contrary, with the maturity of China's high-speed rail technology and the increasing global influence, Vietnam has once again turned its attention to China.

China's high-speed rail technology has gained widespread recognition worldwide due to its outstanding performance and cost advantages. In recent years, China has not only built a huge high-speed rail network in China, but also successfully exported high-speed rail technology to Indonesia, Türkiye and other countries, accumulating rich experience in international cooperation. These successful cases have shown Vietnam the enormous potential for cooperation with China.

two thousand and twenty-fouryearIn June, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Thang expressed in a meeting with executives of China Railway Corporation that Vietnam is willing to create favorable conditions for Chinese companies to invest and develop in Vietnam, and hopes that China Railway Communications and Signal Group and related enterprises can participate in Vietnam's railway construction, provide technical support and talent training. This statement demonstrates the strong willingness of the Vietnamese government to cooperate with China in building high-speed rail.

The close cooperation between China and Vietnam in the field of economy and trade has also provided strong support for the promotion of high-speed rail projects. China is Vietnam's largest trading partner, and bilateral trade volume continues to grow. In addition, in the context of building a China Vietnam community with a shared future, strengthening cross-border railway connectivity has become an important direction for cooperation between the two countries.

Once the North South high-speed railway in Vietnam is completed and connected to the Chinese railway, it will greatly promote trade and personnel exchanges between the two countries. Meanwhile, through new international transportation modes such as the China Europe freight train, Vietnam's goods trade can more conveniently reach the entire Eurasian continent, injecting new impetus into Vietnam's economic growth.

However, the progress of Vietnam's high-speed rail project has not been smooth sailing. The issues of funding, technology, and policy stability remain urgent challenges that need to be addressed. However, with the continuous deepening of cooperation between China and Vietnam and the continued warming of bilateral relations, Vietnam's high-speed rail dream is expected to become a reality in the near future.