Rail link upgrade to rare earths heartland

China and Vietnam are working on a possible significant upgrade of their underdeveloped rail links to boost a line that crosses Vietnam’s rare earths heartland and reaches the country’s top port in the north, senior officials and diplomats said.

The talks are part of preparations for a possible visit to Hanoi in coming weeks by Chinese President Xi Jinping, officials and diplomats said, which would further confirm Vietnam’s increasingly strategic role in global supply chains as major powers including the United States vie to gain influence there.