The mountainous province of Lao Cai continues to prioritise tourism,cross-border trade, and economic integration in its bid to become thehub of the northwestern region.

The locality has beenworking to perfect facilities developing the Lao Cai Border GateEconomic Zone, which covers nearly 8,000 ha.

A total of 4trillion VND (188 million USD) has been poured into key infrastructureprojects such as Kim Thanh Bridge linking Lao Cai city and the Chinesedistrict of Hekou, and the Kim Thanh Commercial and Industrial Centre.

Cross-border trade growth will be further boosted once theconstruction of the Noi Bai-Lao Cai Highway and the upgrade of theHanoi-Lao Cai Railway are completed.

As part of the Kunming-Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong economic corridor, the province serves as agateway connecting the domestic market with ASEAN and the southwesternregion of China.

Last year, cross-border trade turnover withChina reached 2 billion USD, including 1.338 trillion USD from exports, ayear-on-year surge of 170 percent.

According to reportsreleased by the management board of Lao Cai’s border gates, 521businesses registered to fulfil customs formalities there. Key exportsincluded minerals, agro-forestry products, footwear and furniture.

Lao Cai will continue to tap its favourable waterway, rail and roadlinks in order to further enhance cross-border trade, turning it intoan important driving force in the development of the northwesternregion.-VNA