A new height
Through border exchange activities, the solidarity, friendship, and coordination between the two militaries in general, and the border protection forces in particular, have been enhanced and developed considerably.
Since the historic land border treaty between Vietnam and China was signed and officially came into effect in 2000, the relations between the two border protection forces and peoples along the shared borderline have been promoted actively. However, there are some issues related to the border management and protection work, especially non-traditional security factors such as natural disasters, pandemics, and criminal activities, requiring further sound cooperation.
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Providing free health check-ups to the local people |
Accordingly, the two defense ministries discussed and proposed many initiatives in order to enhance border cooperation between the two forces, such as joint exchange and patrol, information sharing, and crime prevention, among others. Both sides also shared the same viewpoint on the need to beef up border cooperation via exchange and cooperation activities, targeting building the Vietnam - China borderline of peace, solidarity, cooperation, and development.
In 2014, the two defense ministries decided to organize the Vietnam - China Border Defense Friendship Exchange, aiming to boost and enhance political trust, friendship, and relationships between the two countries’ border protection forces, localities, and peoples along the shared borderline, maintain social order and security in border areas and border gates, while promoting economic development.
The political trust and friendship between local authorities, troops, and peoples have been bolstered via the exchange, paving the way for substantive and sustainable Vietnam - China relations, creating favorable conditions for bilateral socio-economic development cooperation; while soon addressing arising issues in border areas.
Therefore, the organization of the exchange has helped lift the bilateral border cooperation to a new height.
The spread of an outstanding model
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Border people receive free medicines. |
After seven times of being organized, the Vietnam - China Border Defense Friendship Exchange has proved its active achievements in promoting mutual trust, friendship, and cooperation between the two peoples and militaries in general, and the local authorities, border peoples, and border protection forces in particular.
The exchange was held in 2014 for the first time in Vietnam’s Quang Ninh province and China’s Guangxi province, marking a new milestone in the bilateral defense cooperation.
Since 2014, the exchange has been organized seven times in the two countries’ provinces of Quang Ninh - Guangxi, Lao Cai (Vietnam) - Yunnan (China), Lai Chau (Vietnam) - Yunnan, and Cao Bang (Vietnam) - Guangxi. The first edition was chaired by the Vietnamese Deputy Defense Minister and Chinese Deputy Chief of General Staff. However, the exchange has been co-chaired by the two defense ministers since 2015, showing the importance of the event in the Vietnam - China relations.
Attending the exchange over the past seven times, reporters of the People’s Army Newspaper realized that despite difficult terrain conditions and complicated development of the COVID-19 pandemic in the 2020-2022 period, the event has been expanded with many practical and meaningful activities, such as the two defense ministers painting the landmarks and planting trees, organizing talks and cultural and sport exchanges between the two border protection forces, local authorities, and border peoples; joint drills on search and rescue, joint patrols, providing free health check-ups and medicines, among others.
So far, the exchange has become an external event of Vietnam and China with important political significance, receiving support of the two countries’ leaders and peoples as well as international friends.
This exchange is considered an outstanding model of the border external affairs, and has been multiplied by the Vietnamese Defense Ministry as the border friendship exchange with Laos and Cambodia.
Translated by Minh Anh