Lao Cai – Hekou border bridge at twilight
On a frontier where Vietnamese and Chinese soldiers exchanged bullets in a short but bloody war nearly three decades ago, construction workers from the two countries will soon join forces to build a highway that promises to bring new wealth to their once heavily guarded border regions.
Plans for a four-lane highway from Hanoi to Kunming cleared the last hurdle on Friday when the board of the Asian Development Bank gave the green light to a loan that will underwrite the Vietnamese side of the project.
By 2012, when the highway is supposed to be completed, a journey that now takes three days by truck could take just nine hours. Goods made in China’s Yunnan Province would have quick access to the Vietnamese seaport of Haiphong, and Vietnamese exporters should be able to reach untapped markets in China.
“Both countries are reaping the fruits of peace and cooperation,” said Ayumi Konishi, the Asian Development Bank’s country director in Vietnam. “In one generation, they have moved from tanks and troops to trade and tourism.”
What a novel idea – relying on commerce to assist diplomacy.
I appreciate the irony. The cretins running this country can barely figure out how to sell out the electorate on behalf of the Oil Patch Boys.
Actual diplomacy, a set of circumstances designed for mutual advancement of two or more nations – is probably well beyond the average leading neocon nutball.
A sign of the times?
god, you’re right. If only we were more like China and Viet Nam. One can only hope that we advance to the level of their society.
Well, the downside given the lack of public health services in both countries is that the increased commercial intercourse will bring an increase in sexual intercourse.
With the well known sexual sensitivities of “Oriental” truck drivers, not all may be rosy.
Well good on them. Perhaps Vietnam will experience a bit of a tourist boom as wealthier Chinese middle class families look for warm, clean, beaches to vacation at. Vietnam could end up as China’s Mexico.
If Vietnam ends up as China’s Mexico does that mean that all the Vietnamese will try to sneak into China and get free schooling, health care,etc. Bet the Chinese will welcome them with open arms just like the Libs think we should for the Mexicans.
#6
Idiot, Vietnam is rising up to be a dragon itself, where do you think companies outsource jobs when the wages rise in India and in China?