On December 19, the groundbreaking ceremony for the first section of the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong standard-gauge railway project was held in Lao Cai Province. He Wei, Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam was invited to attend alongside Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son, Secretary of the Lao Cai provincial Party Committee Trinh Viet Hung, and other senior officials from central and local Vietnamese ministries and commissions. Prior to the ceremony, Ambassador He Wei held a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son.

Ambassador He stated that the traditional friendship between China and Vietnam took root during their respective struggles for national independence and liberation, and has been elevated through their exploration of modernization paths suited to their own national conditions. He noted that bilateral relations are currently experiencing a "new highlight." He expressed hope that both sides would advance the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong project in a scientific, prudent, and orderly manner, continuously strengthen trade connectivity, people-to-people bonds, and infrastructure connectivity, thereby contributing to the high-quality construction of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future.

Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son stated that the party and government of Vietnam regard the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong project as a key initiative to strengthen Vietnam-China strategic alignment and an important symbol of the deepening practical cooperation under the comprehensive strategic partnership. He expressed anticipation for enhanced transportation infrastructure connectivity with China to further advance the building of the two countries' community with a shared future.