PANO – The Ministries of National Defense of the two countries, Vietnam and China, are to co-organize the second Vietnam-China Border Defense Friendship Exchange Program from May 15th to 18th in the Vietnamese border province of Lao Cai and Chinese border province of Yunnan. In the buildup to the exchange, People’s Army Newspaper (PAN) reporters held an interview on the event with Deputy Director of the General Department of Politics, ­ Lieutenant General Nguyen Trong Nghia. The interview is as the follows: 

Reporter: General, please clarify the purpose and significance of the exchange program in strengthening the bilateral relations of unity and friendship between the two States, Armies and peoples?

Lieutenant General Nguyen Trong Nghia: Vietnam and China are the two neighboring countries, which share the geological features of mountains and rivers, have similar socio-cultural customs and practices and have enjoyed long-standing friendship traditions.

The second Vietnam-China Border Defense Friendship Exchange Program takes place when the two countries have been holding many activities in celebration of the 65th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic relations establishment. Generally, the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and China sees positive developments, and especially defense cooperative ties are well maintained and further deepened. The event aims to concretize the common views of State leaders of the two countries, which define that relations between border localities of the two countries play an important part in the overall Vietnam-China relationship. To meet this end, the event via various activities would cement and build up friendship and solidarity between the local authorities, people and border forces of the two countries, contributing to increasing mutual political trust and promoting relations between the two countries and two Armies in particular.

The event will also serve as a good opportunity for both sides to build up confidence of the two Armies and peoples in the Vietnam-China border areas of peace, friendship, stability and development, uncurtaining hostile forces’ groundless arguments and distorted information about the Vietnam-China relations.

What is more, that the event draws the participation of the two Defense Ministers as the co-chairs and other high-ranking military and civilian people demonstrates its importance as well as special care given to it by the two Parties and Armies. Within the framework of the event, localities and military units of the two sides are expected to reach deals on friendship and joint patrol, and to hold a ceremony to open a border cultural house.

The two sides' border troops joining the first Vietnam-China Border Defense Friendship Exchange Program in March 2014.

Reporter: How had cooperation contents that had been agreed at the first exchange program been implemented over the year?

Lieutenant General Nguyen Trong Nghia: Based on the concepts agreed by the two sides at the first exchange program in March 2014, border guard units of the two countries have well maintained the mechanisms of talks, exchanges and regular briefings, and actively cooperated with each other in exchanging information about security situations along the shared border and closely coordinated in dealing border issues and happenings along the shared border. Units of the two sides regularly conducted joint patrols, contributing to well managing and protecting the border of friendship and landmarks.

There is still a fact that in January 2013, the two sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding on establishing the mechanism of cooperation at the three levels of border forces between the Border Guard High Command under the Vietnamese Defense Ministry and Border Management Department under the Chinese Public Security Ministry. Recently, the two sides reached an agreement on the three-level cooperation mechanism between the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense and the Chinese Public Security, aiming at strengthening the two sides’ coordination in combating transnational crimes and ensuring security and social order along the shared border.

Particularly, exchanges and friendship activities between the Vietnamese Border Guard and Chinese Border Forces along the whole shared border via the “Friendly Border Posts-Peaceful Border” and “Friendly Border Stations-Harmonious Border Gates” models, and between twined villages on the two border sides, which have drawn special attention from the two Parties, States and Armies, have been well implemented over the past time.

Thanks to such exchanges and friendly activities, border forces of the two countries have strengthened ties and improved the coordination ability in dealing with offences and crimes along the shared border. Local people on the two sides of the borderline have had a good channel to cooperate in business, exchange business experiences, aiming at a prosperous and happy life. The friendship strengthening models are also significant in improving local people’s awareness of national sovereignty, border security, and building up national comprehensive strength for better border management and firm protection of national sovereignty, border security aiming at a friendly and peaceful border between the two countries.

Reporter: Do you think the border cooperation is a light spot in the bilateral defense ties between Vietnam and China?

Lieutenant General Nguyen Trong Nghia: At the first exchange program, apart from the agreement on holding an annual defense exchange in border cities of both countries, the two sides consented to promote cooperation in all areas and localities, and take border cooperation as a good example in bilateral relations between the two countries and Armies.

With the fruitful results over the past year, it could be said that border cooperation is really a light spot and serves as an important pillar, promoting relations between the two Parties, States, Armies and peoples for peace, stability and happiness of each nation.

Border cooperation between Vietnam and China could also see new developments in the coming time, and diversify in both form and content terms, become more practical in order to achieve the common objective: building a shared border of peace, friendship, stability and development.

Reporter: Thank you, General.

Interviewed by Dang Vu

Translated by Thu Nguyen