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An overview of the meeting |
The event took place in an offline format instead of the virtual one over the past two years.
The Vietnamese delegation was headed by Rear Admiral Nguyen Viet Khanh, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Navy, while the Chinese delegation was led by Rear Admiral Zhang Zheng, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Southern Theater.
The two sides agreed that over the past year, the fine comprehensive cooperative ties between the two parties, states, militaries, and people have constantly developed, especially after the Vietnam visit by the Party General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping on December 12 and 13.
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Rear Admiral Zhang Zheng (center) at the event |
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Rear Admiral Nguyen Viet Khanh (center) speaks at the event. |
Both sides affirmed that the two navies’ mechanism of joint patrol in the waters in the Gulf of Tonkin demonstrated the common perception of the leadership of the two parties, states, and militaries on upholding maritime security and stability.
The Vietnam People’s Navy and the Southern Theater reached consensus on the joint patrol plan for 2024. Accordingly, the two navies will conduct two joint patrols in the Gulf of Tonkin and the 17th annual meeting. Specifically, the Chinese side will make the plan for the 36th joint patrol, slated for May or June next year while the 37th edition will be planned by the Vietnamese side in October or November 2024. The 17th meeting will be hosted by China.
At the event, the Chinese delegation proposed the two sides consider enriching the contents of the joint exercise within the joint patrol, completing the planning work, organizing port calls for patrol ships, and spreading positive effects of the joint patrol mechanism.
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The two sides sign the minutes of the meeting. |
The Vietnamese delegation stressed that Vietnam welcomes and stays ready to host Southern Theater delegations and Chinese naval ships next year according to the agreement to be reached by the two ministries of national defense.
At the end of the event, the two sides signed the minutes of the meeting and agreed on issues related to the realization of agreements on the joint patrol and the 17th meeting.
Also in Vietnam, the Chinese delegation paid a courtesy call on leaders of the Naval Command, visited Brigade 147 under Naval Region 1, and toured Ha Long Bay.
Translated by Mai Huong