Quang Ninh (VNA) - Authorities of Mong Cai, a border city in the northern province of Quang Ninh, held talks on June 29 with officials from Dongxing city in China's Guangxi province, discussing the implementation of measures to maintain the success of the two localities in pandemic control and socio-economic development.

During the meeting held at the boundary line on Bac Luan 1 Bridge, the two sides focused on strictly managing the border to prevent illegal entry and exit, speeding up the customs clearance of goods, and returning citizens in violation of immigration rules.

The two sides brief each other on the pandemic situation in their respective countries, provinces and cities, and agreed to enhance the coordination of cross-border measures to prevent and control the COVID-19 pandemic.

They exchanged and agreed on measures to promote trade activities, including facilitating the flow of goods through accelerating customs clearance; hence reducing cost for businesses.

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (July 1, 1921 - 2021), leaders of Mong Cai have sent a letter of congratulations to officials and people of Dongxing, wishing them prosperity under the leadership of the Communist Party of China.

Quang Ninh, which shares more than 118km of land border and 191km of sea border with China, is located at the start of the countries’ “Two Corridors, One Belt” economic cooperation zone, in the Nanning - Singapore Economic Corridor, and the expanded Gulf of Tonkin inter-regional cooperation area under the ASEAN - China Free Trade Area.

In 2020, the value of goods traded through Quang Ninh’s border gates approximated 2.79 billion USD, including over 1.11 billion USD in exports, 980 million USD in imports, and 695 million USD worth of items temporarily imported for re-export or stored in bonded warehouses.

Of the total figure, Mong Cai city of the province posted over 1.09 billion USD in exports, nearly 1.04 billion USD in imports, and 694 million USD of goods temporarily imported for re-export or stored in bonded warehouses. Hai Ha district recorded 3.5 million USD in exports and 4.5 million USD in imports, and Binh Lieu district had 16.6 million USD in exports and 65.9 million USD in imports.

On July 16, 2021, authorities of Quang Ninh and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China officially launched customs clearance through Bac Luan No 2 Bridge, which links Mong Cai International Border Gate with Dongxing Border Gate.

Since the beginning of 2021, the administration of Mong Cai city has held five meetings with its Guangxi counterpart to work out measures to promote bilateral trade.

As a result, in spite of the pandemic’s impacts, the city’s environment for export and import activities has continued to improve, more goods have been traded via official channels, and the trade revenue has also been on the rise.

As of May 31, Mong Cai recorded 1.47 billion USD in trade revenue, growing 14 percent from a year earlier. The turnover included 628 million USD in imports, down 28 percent, and 842 million USD in exports, up 103 percent.

Hit hard by a resurgence of COVID-19 in the first quarter, Quang Ninh nonetheless posted gross regional domestic product (GRDP) growth of 9.02 percent, or double the national average.

This put the province in second place in terms of GRDP growth in the northern key economic region, following the neighbouring city of Hai Phong.

The province aims to maintain its GRDP growth rate at more than 10 percent this year./.