Opening of the 20th China-Vietnam Border Trade Fair, 2020.          Photo: Duc Phuong

Appreciate the traditional relationship

The re-establishment of the province coincided with the normalization of Vietnam's relations with China. Lao Cai province placed importance on and maintained an active relationship with Yunnan province (China) in the early days of re-establishment in order to promote cooperation in all fields, including economics. The railway and road border gate crossing Ho Kieu Bridge was officially reopened on May 18, 1993, creating favorable conditions for people and vehicles between the two countries to exchange trade and cultural exchange. Following that, the two provinces of Lao Cai and Yunnan made good use of the pair of international border gates; in 1996, the Kunming - Lao Cai intermodal railway was officially opened.

Mr. Pham Ky, former member of the Standing Committee, former head of the Provincial Party Committee's Propaganda Department, and former Chairman of the Lao Cai province's Vietnam-China Friendship Association, stated: "In terms of politics and diplomacy, the relationship between Lao Cai province is good." Cai and Yunnan were established very early and continuously raised the bar; the two sides regularly organized high-level delegations, branch and locality delegations, and friendly relations to meet, exchange, learn, and establish friendly relations. work. At one point, the delegation exchanged activities up to 120 times per year, with the contents of exchange and cooperation ranging from economy to culture, science, technology, health, education, banking, and investment. France...

Senior leaders from Lao Cai and Yunnan provinces have visited each other, held talks, and cooperated bilaterally for the past 20 years, clearly demonstrating the friendly neighborly relationship and comprehensive cooperation. and cooperation between the two provinces in the Kunming - Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong economic corridor within the framework of cooperation between the mountainous provinces, Vietnam's northern border, and Yunnan province (China). The room in which Lao Cai province serves as a bridge. In 2008, Lao Cai became a member of the Joint Working Group comprised of four provinces: Ha Giang, Lao Cai, Lai Chau, Dien Bien (Vietnam), and Yunnan Province (China), and successfully organized the Inter-Working Group meeting. In September 2008, the first meeting was held in Lao Cai province. Most recently, on May 18, 2021, leaders of Lao Cai province met in direct talks with leaders of other Vietnamese provinces in the cooperation group. The line with the leaders of Yunnan province (China), with the participation of diplomats from both countries, in which Lao Cai province is recognized as having an important connection position on the economic corridor and group of people cooperation.

Vietnamese delegates press the symbolic button to start construction of Lao Cai Iron and Steel Factory.

Because of the importance of the cooperation relationship, the process of demarcation and marking on the mainland between Vietnam and China has been promoted, and Lao Cai was the first province on the route of seven border provinces bordering China to complete the task in 2007 establishing landmarks in the field, and held a public celebration, promoting the position of a bridge connecting the economic corridor connecting China's southwestern provinces and the provinces and cities of the Red River Delta (Vietnam) and ASEAN countries, trade and investment cooperation between Lao Cai and Yunnan has been steadily increased, with the import and export turnover of goods in 2020 expected to reach 3.2 billion USD, striving the relationship between Lao Cai and Yunnan has evolved into a model of local cooperation between the mountainous provinces that share a northern border with China.

Aside from the good traditional relationship with Yunnan province (China), Lao Cai province actively expanded new cooperative relationships with foreign organizations and localities from very early on, typically with Aquitaine Region (France), Vancouver Region (Canada), and cooperation between Lao Cai province and Brest province (Republic of Belarus)…

Strengthening international economic integration

oreign relations have paved the way for Lao Cai to strengthen cooperation and international economic integration, according to Mr. Pham Thanh Quang, Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs. Typically, cooperation and diplomatic exchange between provincial leaders and embassies of countries in Vietnam, with the embassies of the United Kingdom, Australia, Korea, Japan, Denmark, and others visiting and working in Lao Cai. Lao Cai province also actively conducts meetings and collaborates with international cooperation agencies in Vietnam to promote the province's attraction of development resources, such as representatives of the World Bank (WB) in Vietnam, Asian Development Bank (ADB), French Development Agency (AFD), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and Korea International Cooperation Agency in Vietnam (KICA). Lao Cai province has opportunities to expand cooperation with localities through these organizations. For example, after the KOICA organization implemented the Happiness Project in the area, Lao Cai province established and promoted strong ties with Gyeongsan city (Korea).

Signing a memorandum of cooperation in management and exploitation of external information cluster at Kim Thanh II Road Border Gate.

To date, 32 ODA programs and projects have been implemented in the province, including 14 transitional programs and projects from 2001 to 2005 and 18 newly initiated projects. Typically, the Ministry of Transport manages a number of programs and projects, such as upgrading provincial roads, with the capital of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and a total project value of 70 million USD; the Ministry of Planning and Investment manages a poverty reduction project in six northern mountainous provinces, phase I, with ODA capital from the World Bank (WB) and the UK Department for International Development (DFID).

International cooperation has created favorable conditions and an environment for Lao Cai to attract external resources to meet socioeconomic development needs. The province currently has 21 active FDI projects with a total registered capital of 540 million USD. Many projects have high revenue, promoting efficiency for the local economy, such as in the field of commerce and tourism services, such as the high-class hotel business project of Victoria Hotel One Member Co., Ltd. Sa Pa, which has a turnover of about 3 million USD/year; the project to build an eco-tourism area of Topas EcoLodge Company, which is invested in Sa Pa, has a revenue of tens of billions of dolars. ..

The achievements of Lao Cai province's external affairs over the last 30 years, particularly in recent years when the province implemented the project "Expanding foreign relations, proactively integrating and cooperating internationally in Lao Cai province in the period 2016-2020," have laid the groundwork for a new development phase.