Northern Vietnam province Cao Bang courts T&T Group to develop border economy

Vietnam's northern mountainous province of Cao Bang is seeking to partner with T&T Group to develop the Tra Linh international border gate into a modern cross-border trade and logistics hub, as the country looks to strengthen connectivity with southern China and expand regional supply chains.

Provincial leaders met executives from T&T in Hanoi last Friday to discuss master planning for the economic development of Tra Linh border gate and explore investment opportunities in logistics, trade, and potential industries.

Authorities presented plans to leverage Tra Linh’s strategic location linking Cao Bang with Baise city in China’s Guangxi region and major economic hubs in western and southwestern China.

The province sees the border crossing as a key gateway for expanding trade, attracting investment and integrating more deeply into regional supply chains.

Despite its strategic position, Tra Linh remains underdeveloped, with most of the surrounding land still used for agriculture and limited logistics, warehousing, and customs infrastructure, provincial leaders said. Trade volumes through the border gate also remain modest relative to its potential.

Cao Bang plans to redesign the area around Tra Linh as a long-term economic hub connected to the planned Dong Dang-Tra Linh and Bac Kan-Cao Bang expressways, as well as future cross-border transport infrastructure.

Rather than replicating development models used elsewhere, the province intends to focus on specialized cargo flows, target market segments and strategic investors, while building integrated customs, logistics, industrial, and service facilities.

Provincial leaders expected T&T Group to contribute to the planning process, conduct market research, strengthen links with Chinese partners, and explore organizing trade and investment promotion events between businesses from both sides of the border. They also proposed establishing a joint working group to identify investment opportunities and develop feasible projects.

“Cao Bang needs new development models and investors with long-term vision and experience,” provincial Party chief Phan Thang An said. He added that the province aims to create an integrated border economic ecosystem capable of generating broader regional growth rather than focusing on a single project.

T&T Group founder and chairman Do Quang Hien said his firm was prepared to work with Cao Bang from the planning stage by assessing the province’s competitive advantages, market demand and suitable development models.

He said the company viewed Cao Bang as a market offering long-term opportunities for pioneering investors and was prepared to accompany the province through the early stages of its development rather than pursuing short-term returns.

According to the provincial People's Committee, as many as 217 firms traded through Tra Linh international border gate with a total trade value of over $467 million in 2025.