Quang Ninh has three border economic zones – Mong Cai, Hoanh Mo-Dong Van, and Bac Phong Sinh – covering 144 hectares. The provincial administration has directed functional sectors and localities to maintain, expand, and improve the effectiveness of diplomacy for economic cooperation with China. It has promoted investment, built support infrastructure at border crossings, and developed transport infrastructure to facilitate economic exchanges through border economic zones.

The Quang Ninh Customs Department has piloted a project on a digital border gate model at Bac Luan 2 bridge in Mong Cai city, cut 10 groups of imported goods subject to specialized inspection, simplified 2 administrative procedures, and proposed that 1 administrative procedure be abolished, and 34 administrative procedures be publicized.

It has submitted to Mong Cai city solutions to promote trade activities through pairs of border crossings with China’s Dongxing city and has been redesigning its IT system toward a fully digital customs model.

Trinh Van Nhuan, Deputy Director of the provincial Customs Department, said that as of December 15, 2024 Quang Ninh’s import-exports had contributed 67.5 million USD to the provincial budget, up 4% from last year. Last year, 2,000 importers and exporters did customs clearance through Quang Ninh province, up 30% from 2023, according to Nhuan.

He added, “We continue to deploy software to monitor and evaluate the service quality of officials and civil servants. 99% of enterprises said they are satisfied with the quality of Quang Ninh’s customs service.”

“This is the decisive factor in attracting businesses, thus increasing turnover and the number of declarations. We believe the good result is due mainly to administrative reform, trade facilitation, and the fact that any problems enterprises encounter in mechanisms and policies are fixed immediately,” Nhuan noted.

The Mong Cai Border Gate Economic Zone, for example, has made the most of its location to connect with the Chinese market through border gates, bridges across rivers, ports, and border trade.

To date, the Zone has attracted 120 projects with a total investment capital of 2 billion USD, topping Quang Ninh’s state budget revenue list, estimated to be 19.6 million USD for the year.

Hoang Ba Nam, Secretary of the Mong Cai city Party Committee, said the city plans to turn the Mong Cai Border Gate Economic Zone into a key border gate economic zone, a center of trade, industry, seaports, logistics, and services of Quang Ninh province and the northern key economic region.

He said Mong Cai is completing the strategic planning for the Mong Cai Border Gate Economic Zone and identifying border trade services, tourism, and seaport logistics as pillars.

“Investor attraction has followed a policy of using public investment to lead private investment, using the budget to invest in strategic infrastructure like highways, urban infrastructure, border gates, and transportation to induce private investment in industrial parks, wharves, bonded warehouses, and border gate services,” said Nam.

Last year, import-export turnover through Quang Ninh province totaled 18 billion USD, up 17% from 2023. Border economic zones have proven themselves as economic driver, contributed to local growth, and promoted trade between Vietnam and China.