Lai Châu Border Crossing with China Upgraded to International Status

On the afternoon of November 10, 2026, Vietnam’s Lai Châu Province and China’s Yunnan Province held a ceremony at the Ma Lù Thàng–Kim Thủy Hà border crossing to announce its upgrade to an international crossing. After the ceremony, the first Vietnamese citizens departed for China through Ma Lù Thàng, and vehicles carrying the first shipments completed customs clearance.

Representatives from Vietnam and China pressed a button to announce the upgrade of the Ma Lù Thàng–Kim Thủy Hà border crossing to an international crossing.（VietVance）

Hà Trọng Hải, Vice Chairman of the Lai Châu Provincial People’s Committee, said the upgrade is expected to facilitate imports, exports and cross-border travel; create conditions for investment and the development of trade, services, tourism and logistics in the border area; and strengthen links between northwestern Vietnam and Yunnan Province and southwestern China. These are assessments of the crossing’s development prospects.

To improve the crossing’s efficiency, he proposed that the two sides continue regular exchanges and coordinate to resolve customs clearance issues promptly. He also called for administrative reforms, digital transformation in the management and operation of the crossing, simpler inspection procedures and shorter clearance times. He further proposed studying the construction of a multipurpose cross-border bridge. The measures remain proposals, and the bridge remains under consideration.

The first Vietnamese citizens departed for China through the Ma Lù Thàng border crossing.（VietVance）

The two sides also plan to step up trade, investment and tourism promotion and strengthen links between businesses in the two localities. Lai Châu Province said it would continue coordinating with Vietnam’s central agencies and Yunnan Province on the crossing’s management and operation, with the goal of making it an important trade hub for the two localities.

Source: VietVance