During the patrol from April 19 to 21, the Vietnamese and Chinese coast guard forces will conduct patrols in 13 locations along the demarcation line in the Gulf of Tonkin with a total length of 255.5 nautical miles.

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Senior Colonel Tran Van Tho speaking at the meeting with forces participating in the patrol

Accordingly, the two sides’ coast guard forces will hold talks to exchange information, check trawlers fishing in the adjacent waters, disseminate regulations and law to fishermen, and conduct a search and rescue exercise for troubled fishermen at sea.

After the Vietnam-China agreement on fishery cooperation in the Gulf of Tonkin started to take effect on June 30, 2020, the Vietnamese and Chinese coast guard forces have annually conducted joint patrol in the waters adjacent to the demarcation line in the Gulf of Tonkin.

Encouraging the coast guard troops before the voyage, Coast Guard Region 1 Commander and Head of the Vietnam Coast Guard’s joint patrol force Senior Colonel Tran Van Tho said that since the patrol is forecast to take place in unfavorable weather conditions, participating troops should heighten the spirit of solidarity and determination and strictly observe discipline, thus ensuring absolute safety of personnel, equipment, and materiel. 

The commander of Coast Guard Region 1 also urged participating troops to foster coordination in conducting training activities and enforcing law at sea and pay attention to raising their ability of mastering equipment and materiel, contributing to building the coast guard into a regular, elite, and modernized force to firmly protect political security and order at sea. He also asked them to effectively conduct defense external relations work.

Translated by Tran Hoai