Vietnamese and Chinese border units conduct joint patrol

The patrol was co-led by Lieutenant Colonel Vu Van Phu, Deputy Chief-of-Staff of Vietnam's Lai Chau Provincial Border Guard Command, and Li Weihong, Deputy Head of Division at Jin Shui He Border Station for Immigration Inspection. Both sides followed the agreed joint patrol regulations masterplan, establishing a joint command with three patrol teams from each country, totaling 24 members. The teams patrolled from Border Marker No.29 to Border Marker No.71.

Leaders of both patrol forces signing the minutes of the patrol at the Ma Lu Thang - Jin Shui He border crossing in Phong Tho district, Lai Chau province

The patrol was conducted both on foot and by vehicle, using a method of border-to-border, point-to-point, and line-to-line coordination. It took place in two phases and lasted for seven hours, covering a total distance of 150 kilometers. During the patrol, four vehicles were used, with the teams exchanging greetings 12 times at various points along the border section. The patrol also included a law dissemination campaign, reaching 300 local residents in the border area.

The two delegation heads exchanging flowers

Both sides agreed that the joint patrol was a success, achieving its objectives and further strengthening cooperation. They also agreed on several key points for future collaboration. Particularly, they will continue the implementation of the minutes of the 2023 dialogue between the provincial border guard delegations of Lai Chau, Lao Cai, Dien Bien, and Ha Giang (Vietnam) and the Yunnan Entry-Exit Immigration Inspection Main Station (China) as well as the memorandum of understanding of the 2023 professional dialogue between the provincial border guard delegation of Lai Chau and Lao Cai (Vietnam) and the Honghe Border Management Section, the Hekou Border Inspection Station, and the Jin Shui He Border Station (China).

Patrol Team 1 saluting Border Marker No.65

The patrol forces operating near Border Marker No.63

The two sides will enhance the information exchange and coordination in handling emerging issues in border management and combating crimes, such as illegal immigration, human trafficking, smuggling, and other cross-border criminal activities to maintain safety and stability in the border area. They also agreed to promoting information dissemination to raise legal awareness of local border residents.

Translated by Trung Thanh