Director of the centre for industrial encouragement and trade promotion Le Thi Thu Hang said the provincial Department of Industry and Trade plans to increase cooperation with the Yunnan Hardware and Electromechanical Chamber of Commerce (YHEC).The move aims to boost cross-border trade via the Thanh Thuy (Ha Giang) and Tianbao (Yunnan) international border gates, she said.As the northernmost point of Vietnam and sharing a border with China , Ha Giang is positioned to develop trade with the 1.6-billion-strong market.Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc allowed Ha Giang to establish the Thanh Thuy border economic zone on an area of nearly 30,000 hectares. The province will build another border gate (Xin Man – Doulong) in September 2016.Ha Giang is also home to 27 border markets.To promote trade, Ha Giang and China’s Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture have invested in infrastructure and transport connectivity while accelerating administrative reform to help businesses exchange goods.The two sides have also introduced tax exemption and reduction policies and encouraged investors to develop infrastructure.In the first six months of 2016, two-way trade increased 4.7 times against the same period last year, the highest level so far.Speaking at a meeting with the local centre for industrial encouragement and trade promotion from August 19-21, President of the YHEC Zhang Yuanyuan lauded the potential of Ha Giang and recognised its past trade and investment collaboration with Yunnan.He said the YHEC will call on Chinese businesses to explore investment in Ha Giang and pledged to help them choose suitable investments to boost cross-border trade.The chamber will organise more trade fairs and exhibitions to help businesses of the two sides introduce their products and seek partners, he added.