Starting January 1, 2026, Vietnamese drivers and their vehicles are eligible for fast-track customs clearance services at the Friendship Pass, a critical land gateway connecting China and Vietnam, shortening the inspection time to about 15 seconds and increasing efficiency by about 75 percent.
Previously, drivers and passengers had to go to the inspection counter for border inspection officers to stamp their documents. Now, registered Vietnamese drivers only need to swipe their identity cards, provide fingerprints, and have their faces scanned to pass through the checkpoint after remote verification.
"The manual inspection was quite slow. Now with the fingerprinting system, it is much faster. We can now pass just like Chinese drivers. We sincerely wish for ever-growing friendship between China and Vietnam," said Hoang Quoc Lam, a Vietnamese driver.
"For customs brokerage companies, it's faster and more convenient, saving a lot of time and reducing logistics costs," said Guo Wei, an employee of Pingxiang International Trade Development Group Co., Ltd.
According to statistics, the Friendship Pass inspected over 1 million inbound and outbound vehicles in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 35.5 percent. Among them, Vietnamese vehicles accounted for nearly 30 percent.
Vietnamese vehicles eligible for fast-track inspection through border pass with China
People in Yemen are struggling for survival as the country continues to grapple with a deepening labor crisis after more than a decade of war, with many lamenting the lack of opportunities which are leaving the livelihoods of many hanging in the balance.
As the world marks International Workers' Day on Friday, the situation in Yemen seems all the more poignant as millions of people are finding it increasingly hard to find any work at all.
In the crowded streets of the capital Sana'a, workers gather on street corners, waiting for jobs that may never come. Ahmed Muawadah is one of the many who are sitting here, watching passing cars, desperately hoping that one will stop and offer work.
"Our suffering is that we sit here without work. Sometimes we spend a whole month without working, except for one day, or just one day every two weeks. Work is very limited, almost non-existent. I have nine children, and I only work one day a month. I cannot support them. Jobs have completely disappeared. If opportunities were opened for us, I and all the workers would work," said Muawadah.
This individual story reflects a broader reality affecting an estimated eight million workers across Yemen. Many of them are hoping to receive a daily wage, but the challenges are mounting in an increasingly strained labor market.
Activity in key sectors such as construction and services has dropped sharply, largely due to the suspension of several international initiatives, including those backed by the World Bank. As a result, income opportunities have narrowed for those who rely primarily on daily wages.
Meanwhile, the widening impact of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and the disruption caused along the key Strait of Hormuz -- a key shipping route for global trade -- has brought more misery in recent weeks.
"There has been a significant decline in business activity as a result of the war, the blockade, and the disruption of work. Foreign capital has also left the country, and large companies have moved out of Yemen and stopped their operations. This is one of the main reasons," said Abdul Karim Al, secretary general of the General Federation of Trade Unions in Sana'a.
Yemen residents struggling to survive as work dries up amid deepening labor crisis
