(VOVWORLD) - Since Sunday morning, China has lowered the level of disease prevention at the border and relaxed immigration procedures for certain groups. As a result, border gates in Quang Ninh, Lang Son, and Lao Cai province are busy again.
 At Tan Thanh border gate |
At Tan Thanh border gate in Lang Son province, 250 trucks have been waiting since early Sunday morning to go to China, more than 70% of them loaded with fruit and other agricultural products. Mr. Le Hong Phong, a driver carrying jackfruit from Tien Giang, said agricultural exporters have been waiting a long time to resume export activities.
Mr. Phong said: "When China eased restrictions, we were very happy and excited because transportation and travel between the two countries had been very difficult and costly. I hope things will return to normal now and trade will pick up, because Tet is very near and I want to return to spend Tet with my family.”
At the Huu Nghi border gate in Lang Son province, many Chinese experts and workers are returning home for the lunar New Year.
 At Huu Nghi border gate |
Zhang Ping Zhao lives in Guangxi, China, but works at Dong Nai Industrial Park. He said: "Because the Chinese government adjusted its COVID-19 prevention and control policy, we want to return home to celebrate the lunar New Year and then will come back to Vietnam. Our families in China are very happy because we can reunite after 3 years of separation due to the pandemic. We thank the Vietnamese government for creating favorable conditions for us to return home."
The Lao Cai border gate is busy again after 3 years of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At 7 am, hundreds of students and workers from both sides of the border were going through immigration procedures.
Lieutenant Colonel Bui Hong Ha, Head of the border guard station at Lao Cai International Border Gate, said: "During the pandemic, border guards were assigned to patrol the border. With the border gate resuming normal operation, we’ve reassigned our personnel back to the border gate to assist immigration activities."
With the reopening of the border gates and resumption of import-export activities, bilateral trade between Vietnam and China is expected to grow significantly this year.