Vietnam PM urges China Pacific Construction Group to study metro link between Tan Son Nhat and Long Thanh airports

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has urged China Pacific Construction Group (CPCG) to study an underground metro line linking Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City with the under-construction Long Thanh international Airport in the neighboring province of Dong Nai.

The proposal was raised during a meeting in Hanoi on Friday between the Vietnamese cabinet leader and Yan Jiehe, founder of CPCG, according to the government's news portal.

This is the fourth time Chinh has received Yan Jiehe, including two times in Vietnam and two times in China. CPCG is China’s second-largest private construction conglomerate.

Yan Jiehe said the group is currently focusing resources on implementing three major infrastructure projects in Hanoi after meeting construction starting timelines in 2025. These include the Tu Lien bridge and access roads, the Ngoc Hoi bridge and access roads, and Hanoi’s Metro Line 5 connecting Van Cao with Hoa Lac.

Following the progress briefing, Prime Minister Chinh welcomed CPCG’s participation as a contractor in key infrastructure projects in Hanoi and encouraged the group to expand investment and cooperation with Vietnamese firms in future large-scale projects.

He said cooperation projects should be concrete and exemplary, closely linked to technology transfer, and contribute to Vietnam’s socio-economic development as well as Vietnam-China ties.

Highlighting the importance of long-term planning, the Prime Minister asked CPCG to study further participation in projects aimed at unlocking new development spaces, specifically pointing to a proposed metro line connecting Tan Son Nhat airport with Long Thanh airport.

Yan Jiehe expressed interest in continuing to participate in major infrastructure projects in Vietnam and committed to long-term cooperation in line with the Vietnamese government’s orientations.

Founded in 1995, CPCG is China’s second-largest private construction group. The company has been ranked among the Top 500 largest corporations globally for 10 consecutive years.

In 2023, the company reported revenue of about $79.5 billion and net profit of more than $5.1 billion, ranking 96th in the Fortune Global 500.

CPCG holds China’s top-tier general contractor designation and has been involved in the operation of around 3,000 industrial parks. The group has pioneered BT, BTO and PPP models across more than 1,000 cities and is expanding aggressively into ASEAN and Eastern Europe through high-speed rail and metro projects.

With a total investment of approximately $16 billion, Long Thanh International Airport, located in the commune of the same name in Dong Nai province, is expected to begin commercial operation in the middle of this year.

On January 7, 2025, the People's Committee of Dong Nai province held a meeting with the Department of Construction and the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Management Board regarding the project to extend the Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien metro line to the provincial administrative center and Long Thanh airport.

The project, studied within Dong Nai province, has a total length of approximately 41.4 km, with the starting point connecting to the Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien metro line (Ho Chi Minh City) and the end point at Long Thanh airport.