Report: What is your assessment of the exchange and cooperation between the two border protection forces over the past time? What are the results and cooperation contents that two sides will focus on in the coming time?
Senior Colonel Luo Bin: In recent years, exchange and cooperation activities between the border forces of Vietnam and China have been strengthened in both contents and forms. The two sides have regularly exchanged delegations at all levels, held meetings and talks to share experience in border management, reviewed cooperation and devised measures to enhance cooperation. Grassroots units of the two sides have expanded the model of building friendship border units and each year dozens of joint patrols were conducted along the land borderline. These activities have helped the forces promptly share information about cross-border crimes, contributing to firmly maintaining border security. Apart from that, the two forces have held art activities and young officer exchanges to enhance mutual understanding and friendship and improve the quality of border management for a borderline of peace, stability and security.
The two border forces have also actively implemented agreements on Vietnam-China border management and contributed to completing the mechanisms of talks, joint patrol, information sharing and action coordination. They have also proposed initiatives in operation, such as expanding areas of cooperation, gradually enhancing activities of young officer exchange, joint training, improving the quality of border management, jointly building a borderline of peace, stability, friendship and cooperation.
Reporter: How were the initiatives that the two sides had devised in the previous four exchanges implemented?
Senior Colonel Luo Bin: 2018 marks the 10th year of the establishment of the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic partnership and the fifth year that the Vietnam-China Border Defense Friendship Exchange has been held. The fifth edition of the exchange not only shows the determination and confidence of the two militaries in protecting a borderline of peace, stability and ever-developing border socio-economy, but also sends a message to the world that Vietnam and China always attach special importance to peaceful development. It also shows that the friendship between the two militaries and the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic partnership are sustainably developing.
    |
 |
|
Counter-terrorism field training exercise at the event in 2017 |
The border exchange between the two countries’ border troops has been improved since the first one four years ago. The two sides have held various joint patrols in border areas, coordinated with each other in fighting against transnational crimes, and held cultural and art exchange activities during holidays. The border forces of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Yunnan province of China and the seven Northern border provinces of Vietnam have been implementing a model of “Joining hands to build friendly border stations and a peaceful borderline” while residential areas on both sides of the borderline have also twinned with each other.
Reporter: What are the effects of the exchange on the bilateral relations between the two militaries, the two countries, and the socio-economic development in border areas?
Senior Colonel Luo Bin: The organization of the Vietnam-China Border Defense Friendship Exchange has concretized the common perceptions of leaders of the two countries, contributing actively to boosting the Vietnam-China relations and promoting the cooperation and friendship between the two countries’ militaries. The exchange helps not only reinforce the friendship between the border management forces, but also strengthen the confidence for people in border areas to live and develop their economy in peace.
The organization of the exchange has helped better the management of the border between the two countries. The contribution of the border management forces of the two countries to building a borderline of peace, stability, friendship, cooperation and development has created a good foundation for people of the two countries and those in border areas to expand trade, tourism, and culture activities. The scale of economic and trade cooperation and the number of tourist arrivals to each side have increased continuously in recent years, bringing substantial benefits to people in border areas of both sides.
Reporter: What do you think are the contents that the forces stationed in border areas of the two countries should do in order to maintain the borderline of peace and friendship while enhancing relations between the two militaries?
Senior Colonel Luo Bin: At present, in terms of border cooperation, Vietnam and China are to draw and summarize lessons of success, adapt to the new mechanism, stay constantly creative and developing. First, there should be a comprehensive review of the Vietnam-China border defense friendship exchange, as it has been now held for the fifth time, so that lessons and methods could be widely applied.
Secondly, the border management forces of the two countries, especially the Chinese side, should conduct reforms. That is because reforms in the military are directly related to the forces in charge of border management and patrol and bodies responsible for the work also change. However, regardless of any reforms, China's policy of enhancing border management and border cooperation and exchange with neighboring countries will not change. In November 2017, the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense and the Chinese counterpart signed a new agreement on border cooperation in order to adapt to the new mechanism, strengthen border cooperation and exchange and lift the quality of border management.
Third, cooperation between the forces stationed in the border areas of the two countries need to be creative and target development. Along the course of development, changes in the missions of the border management forces of the two countries will get more diversified. For example, the two sides should have more discussions on how to deal with natural disasters in border areas, so as to protect the people and property along on the two sides of the shared borderline.
Reporter: Thank you very much!
Reported by Vu Hung - Van Duyen
Translated by Huu Duong