Although domestic opposition to the North-South HSR project has diminished over the last decade, partly due to the rapid advancements in HSR technology and the positive coverage of HSRs in China and Laos, significant domestic concerns remain. One major issue is the political risk associated with choosing China as the main partner for the project. W

Given the massive investment required, once a decision is made, it will be difficult to reverse, making the choice of partner—and by extension, the technology—crucial for the future of Vietnam’s railway infrastructure for decades to come. This partly explains why Hanoi is exercising extreme caution in making a final decision on the partnershi

Compared to other regional countries, however, Vietnam faces more challenges. Its long, narrow geography means that it may only be able to select a single technology, unlike Thailand, which has chosen Chinese technology for the Bangkok–Nong Khai line and Japanese technology for the Bangkok–Chiang Mai line.[28] Furthermore, the North-South HSR w