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Minister of National Defense Phan Van Giang and delegates conduct the national sovereign marker-saluting ceremony. |
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Defense chief Phan Van Giang paints the national sovereign marker on the Vietnamese side. |
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Delegate pose for a group photo at the national sovereign marker on the Vietnamese side |
After that, the delegation walked through the border gate to enter China for a wide range of activities in the framework of the exchange.
A see-off ceremony for the delegation was solemnly held at the border gate area.
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Minister Phan Van Giang and the Vietnamese delegation head for China for the exchange. |
In the morning the same day, at China’s Youyi Guan Border Gate, Chinese Minister of National Defense Senior Lieutenant General Dong Jun warmly welcomed Vietnamese Minister of National Defense General Phan Van Giang and the Vietnamese MND delegation.
The welcome ceremony was held solemnly with the participation of the guard-of-honor, military art troupe, and thousands of local people and students.
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Chinese Minister of National Defense Dong Jun welcomes his Vietnamese counterpart Phan Van Giang (left) at the Vietnam-China border demarcation line. |
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A Chinese servicewoman presents flowers to Minister Phan Van Giang. |
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Chinese MND delegation welcomes Vietnamese Minister of National Defense Phan Van Giang. |
While in China, the Vietnamese and Chinese MND delegations had group photos and toured the Youyi Guan tourist site. They will visit the Border Company of Youyi Guan Border Gate, hear an online report from the patrol forces of the two navies before their joint patrol, and plant a friendship tree. They will also conduct visits to the smart border gate at Youyi Guang Border Gate, visit Pingxiang city Primary School No.4, and Zhulian model village in Ningming district.
The ninth edition will take place in China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Vietnam’s Lang Son province on April 16 and 17.
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Defense Minister Phan Van Giang (left) and his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun |
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Defense Ministers Phan Van Giang, Dong Jun and Vietnamese and Chinese MND delegations in a group photo |
It is held right after the State visit to Vietnam by Party General Secretary and State President of China Xi Jinping and at the time that the two countries are celebrating the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations. It is a testament to the determination of the two parties, two states and people of the two countries to jointly foster the two countries' time-honored friendship, thus deepening their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.
In the joint statement issued on the occasion of the Chinese top leader’s visit, the two sides reaffirmed to build the pillar of defense and security cooperation in a more practical manner. They also agreed to strengthen exchanges of high-levels and all levels between the two militaries, and promote role of such mechanisms as border defense friendship exchange and defense strategic dialogue.
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Chinese border people greet Minister Phan Van Giang and the Vietnamese delegation. |
Translated by Mai Huong