Nguyen Huy Tuong, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi Municipal People’s Committee, told a news briefing on November 16 that the conference will review the implementation of the agreement reached at the fourth conference, especially in travel, investment, trade, goods quarantine and efforts to prevent epidemics, as well as in the exchange of arts and culture and assisting each other to train human resources.

In the coming time, the above cities and provinces will accelerate cooperation in areas such as tourism, transport, education, medical care and agriculture, Mr Tuong said, adding that they will continue to carry out the Sino-Vietnam judicial support agreement and strengthen cooperation in maintaining security on the Economic Corridor, combating human trafficking and the smuggling of drugs.

After one year of implementing the memorandum-of-understanding from the previous conference, more favourable conditions have been offered to help Vietnamese and Chinese businesses converse with each other, transact and promote investment.

A series of trade and tourism fairs were held in Kumming, Hanoi, and Lao Cai, etc. Hanoi, Lao Cai and Quang Ninh are now home to a total of 200 Chinese FDI projects with a total registered capital of US$788.5 million. A bridge over the Red River between Vietnam and China has been finished, while construction of a Hanoi-Lao Cai highway has begun.