Int'l road transport launched in Greater Mekong Subregion

The international road transport (China-Laos-Vietnam) in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) has been launched as two Chinese logistics firms obtained GMS temporary entry documents for motor vehicles on Wednesday.

With the new permission, goods can be directly transported to Laos and Thailand, with clearance time drastically shortened, said Yan Ke, deputy general manager of the Nanning Xinjinhang Materials Co., Ltd, one of the operators.

As one of the major goals of the GMS, the new cooperation will promote transport and facilitate trade, said Fei Zhirong, vice chairman of National Transport Facilitation Committee of China, adding it will also boost cross-border transportation between Nanning, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand.

Convenient cross-border transport is expected to meet the needs of GMS countries for the carriage of goods and personnel exchanges, said Phan Thi Thu Hine, deputy director general of the Directorate for Roads of Vietnam.

Viengsavath Siphandone, vice minister of Public Works and Transport of Laos, said countries along the route will forge ahead with the development of the GMS East-West economic corridor and opening-up of the region.

The national transport facilitation committee of the Greater Mekong Subregion approved an MoU in March, adding 11 new routes to the original ones.

The GMS covers the Mekong River basin in Southeast Asia, bringing together China and five countries -- Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.