On June 19, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha met and worked with the leaders of Mekong-Lancang International Energy Company (China). At the meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister called on the Chinese energy company to study and propose specific projects to the two governments to meet the electricity demand in Northern Vietnam.
According to the Deputy Prime Minister, the energy demand of the northern provinces of Vietnam is an opportunity for Mekong-Lancang to study and propose specific projects to the two governments. This also helps businesses of the two countries cooperate stably and harmonize interests.
Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha said that increasing connectivity in transport, energy and telecommunications infrastructure will help exploit the potential and strengths between localities of Vietnam and China in economics, trade and investment.
"Vietnam welcomes businesses with policies, technology, solutions, and effective investment in the green energy sector such as wind power, solar power, and pumped storage hydropower," said Mr. Tran Hong Ha.
Lancang-Mekong International Power Company is a member of China Southern Power Grid (CSG). They have developed a power grid connecting China with countries in the Lancang-Mekong River basin, and a number of projects and cooperation programs in Vietnam.
According to Mr. Lín, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mekong - Lancang, this enterprise wishes to continue promoting new grid connection projects between the two countries, expanding the scale of electricity transactions between the two sides. He also proposed expanding cooperation in the fields of renewable energy, clean energy, increasing exchanges and technical training on monitoring and operating smart and safe grids.
Responding to this proposal, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha affirmed that Vietnam always supports Mekong-Lancang projects with Vietnamese enterprises in grid connection, electricity trading, and converting energy projects using fossil fuels to green, clean fuels, especially pumped storage hydropower.
Besides, he said that during the cooperation process, the company needs to have a technology transfer plan and promote industrial zones in the Vietnam-China border area to further promote efficiency from the connected power grids.
"Enterprises need to take into account the overall benefits of the environment, climate change, water resource sharing, and information so that development does not harm the sustainability of the Mekong-Lancang River," the Deputy Prime Minister noted.
On the same day, at a meeting with Mr. Chen Zhong, Deputy General Director of China Communications Construction Corporation (CCCC), the Deputy Prime Minister said that CCCC is fully capable of participating in the construction of key transport infrastructure projects connecting Vietnam and China.
Regarding the North-South high-speed railway project, the Deputy Prime Minister said that the State will play a leading role, but the enterprises directly participating must have a roadmap for transferring and mastering railway technology and industry to Vietnamese enterprises. This needs to be based on a commercial contract, with clear commitments according to the law.