Guangzhou Metro Group inaugurated its representative office in Ho Chi Minh City on June 1. This office will serve as a central hub for coordinating and managing urban rail transit consulting, design, and construction activities for projects in Vietnam. The opening comes as Ho Chi Minh City accelerates its metro network development, with a target of completing approximately 200 km by 2030.

Attendees at the inauguration included Guangzhou Vice Mayor Lai Chi Hong, Chinese Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Tang Lip, and Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Vice Chairman Bui Xuan Cuong.

Leaders from Ho Chi Minh City and Guangzhou, along with representatives from various units, at the inauguration ceremony. Photo: Ha Giang

According to Nguyen Vinh Toan, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction, the establishment of the representative office signifies a new step in the cooperative relationship between Ho Chi Minh City and Guangzhou Metro. It transforms their engagement from individual projects into a long-term strategic partnership for urban rail development.

This development follows a memorandum of understanding signed in April 2024 between the Ho Chi Minh City Management Authority for Urban Railways (MAUR), the China Metro Association, and Guangzhou Metro Group. The agreement focuses on urban rail transit planning and development in the city. Subsequently, the parties initiated various activities related to metro line 2 (Ben Thanh - Tham Luong and Ben Thanh - Thu Thiem sections), metro line 4, and other projects under research by the group's member companies.

Following the opening of Guangzhou Metro's representative office, Ho Chi Minh City's Department of Construction leadership expects enhanced cooperation in human resource training and development. This aims to gradually master urban rail transit technology. The city also hopes to build a core local workforce capable of supporting the industry's long-term growth.

Furthermore, Ho Chi Minh City seeks to establish an equitable and mutually beneficial specialized cooperation ecosystem between Guangzhou Metro Group and the local business community. This initiative aims to enhance the competitiveness of the city's enterprises and promote their deeper involvement in the regional and international railway industry supply chain.

Additionally, Ho Chi Minh City has requested Guangzhou City and Guangzhou Metro to continue supporting the optimization of metro network planning, transit-oriented development (TOD), and enhanced connectivity among rail, road, underground spaces, and smart urban systems. This will foster modern urban development.

Metro line 1 Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien travels on Hanoi Highway (Vo Nguyen Giap Street). Photo: Quynh Tran

Liu Zhi Cheng, Chairman of Guangzhou Metro Group, stated that the opening of the representative office in Ho Chi Minh City marks a new milestone in urban rail transit cooperation. It will also contribute to boosting economic and trade relations between the two sides.

He affirmed Guangzhou Metro's readiness to share expertise in technology, construction investment, and urban rail transit operation management. The group will assist Vietnam in refining its industry standards, technical regulations, and management models. It will also promote technology localization and train human resources for the urban rail sector.

Currently, Ho Chi Minh City operates nearly 20 km of metro line 1 Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien. Additionally, projects for Ben Thanh - Tham Luong, Ben Thanh - Thu Thiem, and Ben Thanh - Can Gio have recently commenced construction. Beyond these lines, the city is prioritizing railway projects such as Thu Thiem - Long Thanh, Binh Duong New City - Suoi Tien, and metro line 6 phase 1 (Tan Son Nhat Airport - Phu Huu).

Ha Giang