Vietnamese, Chinese coast guards conclude joint patrol

Saluting ceremony at sea

The Vietnamese fleet was captained by Senior Colonel Luong Cao Khai, Deputy Commanding Officer of the Coast Guard Region 1, while the Chinese side was headed by Liu Tianrong, Deputy Director of the Nanhai Division of the China Coast Guard.

In four days, starting October 19, the two sides patrolled 13 locations in the waters adjacent to the Gulf of the Tonkin delimitation line from the location which is 14 nautical miles off the Southeast of Tran Island in Vietnamese province of Quang Ninh to the place which is 48 nautical miles off the northeast of Con Co Island of Vietnamese province of Quang Tri.

Ship 4303 of the Chinese Coast Guard

The ships moved in a line formation along the two sides of the delimitation line and kept a distance of 0.5 nautical miles from each fleet. During patrolling, while one side was checking trawlers fishing in the waters, the other side was observing. After the check, they informed the results to the other side. For trawlers with violations on the waters, they asked them to leave waters and handed them over to relevant forces.

Part of the patrol

During the patrol, the two sides held phone talks and boosted dissemination of information on fishing regulations in the waters adjacent to the demarcation line in the Gulf of Tonkin and COVID-19 prevention and control measures among fishermen.

The outcome of the second joint patrol between Vietnamese and Chinese coast guard forces has contributed to the realization of international laws, especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 and the Vietnam-China agreement on the delimitation of the territorial seas, exclusive economic zones, and continental shelves in the Gulf of Tonkin signed by the two countries on December 25, 2000.

Senior Colonel Luong Cao Khai (R) holds a phone talk with Liu Tianrong, Deputy Director of the Nanhai Division.

The Vietnamese coast guard force also hoped the patrol would  help enhance the two countries’ relationship, and hoped to see the growing ties between the two parties, states, and people in general and the coast guard forces of the two countries in particular in the coming time.

Translated by Mai Huong