The zones, closed to ensure its safetyagainst COVID-19, are located inside the border gates for customs clearanceactivities, to which entries will be limited. All the transport and goods handling activities will be implemented by drivers and workers inside them.
Since the end of 2021, Vietnam has switched the country’s COVID-19 control tosafely and flexibly adapting to the pandemic, while China has maintained its “ZeroCOVID” policy. The difference has led to difficulties in customs clearances at border gates between the two countries.
Particularly, since February, complicated COVID-19 situationin China has prompted the country to apply stricter measures, including theclosure of border gates. Since the pandemic broke out, the Chinese side has temporallyclosed border gates with Quang Ninh 20 times.
Congestions at the border gates have become more serious. Since February 2,over 1,100 containers with about 36,000 tonnes of goods have been stuck in theborder. To date, border trade activities in Quang Ninh has still been frozen.
According to Ho Quang Huy, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Mong Cai city,it is crucial for the Vietnamese and Chinese sides to reach mutual recognitionof COVID-19 testing results and criterial for “green zones” and “green lanes”as well as relevant issues.
He said that along with strengthening talks with the Chinese side, since April 2,the city has asked relevant organisations and individuals to apply drasticCOVID-19 prevention measures to ensure utmost safety for the green zones at BacLuan II border gate and the Km 3 4 Hai Yen pontoon bridge. All entries to theareas are requested to show negative COVID-19 testing results.
Meanwhile, in localities with border gates such as Mong Cai, Hai Ha and BinhLieu, various measures have been applied to deal with congestions and preparenecessary conditions for the resumption of border trade activities.
Together with forming the green zones and strengthen discussion with theChinese side, they have held meetings with businesses conducting import-exportactivities to seek solutions, while setting up checkpoints to ensure all entriesto the border gate areas hold negative testing results against COVID-19following testing standards of China./.