Officials of Vietnam and China on December 31 discussed urgent measures to handle goods congestion. Photo: Vietnam Investment Review

Guangxi's "zero Covid" measures, including shutting the border and suspending the imports of certain fruits, were unnecessary, senior trade ministry officials told Guangxi trade officials on December 31, as cited by VnExpress.

The policy has disrupted the supply chain and caused negative impacts on bilateral trade development, resulting in big losses for businesses and people of both countries, the Vietnamese officials said.

The ministry proposed that Guangxi recruits more drivers and workers on its side to deal with the staff shortage. It also suggested that fully vaccinated Vietnamese be sent across the border to work.

It wants Guangxi to facilitate shipment via trains and ships; as also resume importing Vietnamese dragon fruits.

Drivers check fruits quality near the border gate with China in Vietnam's Lang Son province on December 16, 2021. Photo: VnExpress

Guangxi trade officials said that they would increase the duration of customs clearance based on the agreement between the local authorities of the border gates.

They will forward other proposals to higher authorities, Guangxi officials said.

Earlier, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien had sent four letters to China’s Ministry of Commerce, China Customs and secretaries of the two localities - GuangXi and Yunnan - requesting the agencies’ intervention in resolving the issues.

According to VietnamPlus, the Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu had also held phone talks with Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Wu Jianghao to discuss measures to accelerate the circulation of goods through border gates between the two countries.

Both sides agreed that the problem is causing great losses to people and businesses of both countries and affecting the bilateral trade partnership as well as the regional supply and production chains.

Cargo congestion at Tan Thanh border gate in Lang Son province. Photo: VNA

The officials also underlined the importance of border trade recovery to boosting the socio-economic development of Vietnamese and Chinese localities, stabilizing production and supply chains in the region, and ensuring legitimate interests of businesses and people of both sides.

Vietnam and China agreed to maintain close communication and actively urge relevant ministries, sectors, and localities of both sides to seek solutions to the current cargo congestion at border gates while continuing to strengthen cooperation in pandemic prevention and control in the border gate areas./.

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