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Chinese products and workers, rather than those from Vietnam, are being used for key industrial projects in the fast-developing country, a report quoted top officials as saying Saturday. The strong Chinese influence is contentious because there remains widespread distrust in Vietnam of its big neighbour and especially its territorial ambitions in the region.

"Chinese contractors have won numerous key projects in the electricity, cement, building and chemical sectors... and sent thousands of workers and equipment to Vietnam," Tran Ngoc Hung, president of Vietnam Construction Association, was quoted saying. The state-linked Tuoi Tre newspaper reported that one construction project in north-eastern Quang Ninh province employs 2,000 Chinese workers and uses cement and electricity plants built by Chinese companies.