HANOI - China and Vietnam reached an agreement on studying the feasibility of a railway program during Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to the country.

The two countries signed a document on studying the feasibility of the railway project connecting Hanoi-Lao Cai-Hai Phong in northern Vietnam, according to a joint communique issued on Friday.

China and Vietnam have been in close contact on infrastructure cooperation projects and the deal can also be regarded as a model for win-win cooperation between the two countries as they have called for an alignment between China's Belt and Road initiative and Vietnam's "Two Corridors and One Economic Circle" plan.

The Belt and Road initiative, namely the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, was unveiled by the Chinese president in 2013 with the aim of reviving the ancient trade routes.