The Vietnamese coast guard ships 3003 and 4001 and boat 720 participating in the event were led by Lieutenant Colonel Ngo The Trung, Second-in-command and Chief of Staff of Flotilla 1 of the Coast Guard Region 1 Command. The Chinese coast guard ship 22603 and the formation of boats 22030, 22031 were commanded by Major Wang Chao, Deputy Director of Fangchenggang’s Coast Guard Department.

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The two delegations exchanging souvenirs after concluding the patrol

The joint patrol spanned 102 nautical miles from point 1 to point 9 along the countries’ demarcation line in the Gulf of Tonkin. This area witnessed a bustling import-export and goods exchange activities between Vietnam and China. It is also a hotspot for illegal activities such as smuggling, trade fraud, illegal border crossings, and unauthorized maritime entries.

During the event, the Vietnamese coast guards actively organized dissemination to encourage fishermen working on fishing vessels operating near the bordering waters to comply with regulations on illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, thus contributing to removing the European Commission’s yellow card warning imposed on Vietnam's seafood and promote the country’s sustainable fishery development.

Starting from 2024, joint patrols in the bordering waters are conducted quarterly to maintain security and law enforcement for citizens of both nations. These efforts contribute to preserving and developing the traditional friendship between the two countries in general and between their coast guards in particular.

Translated by Tran Hoai