German high-speed rail in VietnamBy Wang Hung-jen 王宏仁A recent piece of international news has drawn surprisingly little attention, yet it deserves far closer scrutiny. The agreement positions Siemens to participate in the construction of a high-speed rail link between Hanoi and Ha Long Bay. Particularly telling is the comprehensive cooperation agreement between VinSpeed and Siemens that includes technology transfer, even though Vingroup — VinSpeed’s parent company — later announced its withdrawal from the massive US$67 billion North-South high-speed rail investment. In this context, high-speed rail cooperation functions as a diplomatic confidence-building measure, not merely an economic calculation. Vietnam’s North-South high-speed rail project would inevitably draw on substantial foreign capital and diverse technologies, creating a tangible opening for Taiwan to consider.

Source: Taipei Times January 08, 2026 16:52 UTC