The Vietnamese parliament has now approved a railway project worth over US$8 billion that will connect its northern port city to the Chinese border.

The project is expected to reinforce the already strong economic linkages between northern Vietnam and southern China.

HANOI: Vietnam's parliament on Wednesday (Feb 19) approved plans for an US$8 billion rail link from its largest northern port city to the border with China, boosting links between the two communist-ruled countries and making trade easier.

Vietnam's National Assembly on Wednesday approved raising the economic growth target for this year and backed major infrastructure projects, including a rail link to China and the construction of the country's first nuclear power plants.