A leader of the Provincial People’s Committee hosts a working session with the delegation of Australian Embassy

On the afternoon of June 17, Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Duong Xuan Huyen and leaders from several provincial departments, hosted a working session with the delegation from the Australian Embassy in Vietnam. The delegation, led by Ms. Carol Holmes, Political Counsellor, came to explore potential cooperation opportunities between Lang Son province and Australia, as well as the existing partnership between Lang Son and Guangxi, China.

At the meeting, the Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee expressed his pleasure in receiving the delegation and welcomed the opportunity to discuss the province’s potential and cooperative prospects. He affirmed his readiness to address any concerns and introduced Lang Son’s strengths to open the door to bilateral collaboration.

Ms. Carol Holmes thanked Lang Son for its warm reception. She expressed interest in learning about the province’s economic and trade development strategies; plans for infrastructure and interregional transport connectivity, including links to China; border management; border gate economy; opening and upgrades of border gates and progress on implementing pilot smart border gates.

The Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee highlighted Lang Son’s strategic location as an international gateway to China, featuring two international border gates, one bilateral border gate and multiple crossings. He noted the province is actively developing border gate infrastructure—specifically transport networks—such as the Hanoi–Tan Thanh and Huu Nghi–Cao Bang expressway connections. Collaboration with Guangxi is underway to build smart border gates and upgrade freight transport routes. Currently, approximately 1,500 vehicles cross the province's gates daily.

Beyond trade, the province is also focusing on industrial zones, cultural development, and heritage preservation. Lang Son’s Geopark was recently designated as a UNESCO Global Geopark—factors that provide a strong foundation for rapid socio-economic development.

The Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee expected Ms. Holmes and the Australian Embassy to continue serving as a bridge for cooperation and exchanges between Lang Son and Australian partners, and to facilitate engagement from Australian investors and businesses. Such efforts would deepen relations between Vietnam and Australia, and specifically between Lang Son and the Australian Embassy in Vietnam.

Ms. Holmes commended Lang Son’s strategic socioeconomic role and expressed that expanding ties with Vietnamese localities—including Lang Son—would reinforce Australia–Vietnam partnership and regional cooperation.

Both sides agreed to maintain dialogue, explore further cooperation opportunities in areas aligned with mutual interests, and strengthen Australia–Vietnam relations through provincial-level partnerships.

Prior to this, the Australian Embassy delegation had surveyed Huu Nghi International Border Gate and the Viettel Logistics Park in Lang Son.