Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang
On April 21, at the regular press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, when it comes to the question on the official operation of a number of intermodal railway lines, transporting import and export goods between Vietnam and China including the Anhui - Hanoi route and the Thanh Do - Hanoi route, spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang said several intermodal railways transporting import and export goods between some Chinese localities such as Sichuan, Anhui and Vietnam have been put into operation on April 15 and 16, 2022.
The international railway is a safe and efficient mode of transport with many advantages in terms of time and transportation cost, which will contribute to promoting smooth trade between the two countries as well as connecting to other markets, said Ms. Hang.
The rail transport connection is in line with the cooperation between the two sides in promoting the connection of the ‘Two Corridors, One Belt’ framework, a connectivity initiative involving Vietnam and China, which is a part of the Belt and Road Initiative, a Chinese global development initiative fostering connectivity, especially across Eurasia.
Vietnam and China are important trading partners. In 2021, the total trade turnover between Vietnam and China will reach US$165.9 billion, an increase of 24.6 percent compared to 2020.
In the first quarter of 2022, import and export turnover between the two countries will reach $40.8 billion, up 10.6 percent over the same period. Vietnam is willing to work with China to promote stable, balanced and sustainable development of bilateral trade, bringing real benefits to both countries.
Regarding the question of receiving the Covid-19 vaccine for children, Ms. Hang said that following the policy of organizing vaccination for children aged 5-11 years in order to soon have Covid-19 vaccine coverage, in recent years, under the close direction of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has closely coordinated with the Ministry of Health to advocate and discuss with COVAX, partner countries and vaccine manufacturing corporations to accelerate the supply and support of vaccines for kids.
So far, the Australian Government has pledged to support Vietnam with 12.8 million doses of vaccine and the Southeast Asian country has received 4.6 million doses of Moderna vaccine while the Netherlands and France to supported two million doses of Moderna vaccine and two million doses of Pfizer vaccine respectively. The vaccine funded by the Netherlands and France is expected to return to Vietnam in April 2022.
Currently, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is continuing to coordinate with the Ministry of Health to discuss with international organizations and partners to ensure an adequate supply of vaccines for children, contributing to completing the immunization plan for children in the second quarter of 2022 under the direction of the Prime Minister.
