Lao Cai is the first of the seven northern border provinces to have completed its marker posting on its border with China a year ahead of schedule. Head of the National Committee for Border Affairs Vu Dung talked about the significance of the event in an interview granted to VOVNews.
Following are excerpts from the interview.
VOVNews: What is your assessment of the event?
Mr Dung: It is not only an important event but also good news, particularly for those involved in land border demarcation because no one really thought that the demanding work could be done on schedule. However, showing a great deal of determination, Lao Cai province has already completed its marker posting ahead other northern border provinces among which Ha Giang and Lai Chau expect to complete their work on schedule.
VOVNews: Could you brief us on the progress that Vietnam and China have made in planting land border markers so far?
Mr Dung: Vietnam and China share nearly 1,400km-long borderline that was once demarcated in a treaty signed by France who then ruled Vietnam and the Chinese Qing Dynasty (called the France-Qing treaty) in the late 19th century. However, many land border issues have occurred during the past century, requiring both Vietnam and China to sit down at the negotiating table and construct a new treaty. After a new pact was signed in 1999, we agreed to speed up the border demarcation work and have completed 85 percent of the work. I hope that with more effort we will finish the remaining 15 percent of our mission in 2008.
VOVNews: Both countries have not yet reached a consensus on several points (Point C) for the marker posting. What will we do to overcome this challenge?
Mr Dung: Formerly there were 164 points C on the entire common borderline between Vietnam and China and the two countries reached a consensus on these points after the new treaty was signed. These points have complicated topography, for instance a valley, a small bridge, a forest or rocky mountain. However, everything has been settled so far. In fact, the localities that have completed their demarcation work have seen some changes already, including reductions in the number of cross border violations from each country. But, more importantly, trade and tourism exchanges have increased sharply and this is the eventual goal of the demarcation work. In other words, we aim to build a new borderline, which is easy to recognise and manage, so we can promote trade cooperation with China.
VOVNews: Could you further elaborate on the difficulties that the working groups have experienced?
Mr Dung: We have 12 such groups in total. Vietnam’s northern mountainous border areas have a perilous topography, mostly mountains, stretching out to seven provinces from Dien Bien to Quang Ninh. Besides the harsh weather conditions, it takes a lot of time, even several days, for border workers to walk to the marking points. In addition, natural disasters, including severe flooding, change the real topography compared to the agreed points on the map. When the work is completed, it will be the first time we have had a complete borderline with China that we can leave for the future generations.
Reporter: There were some malicious rumours during the negotiation process between the two sides. What role do you expect the press agencies to play when covering the issue in a more transparent manner?
Mr Dung: Since the two countries signed the treaty, Vietnam has strictly followed the major principle of respecting the borderlines stipulated in historical documents, including the France-Qing Treaty. It’s obvious that the borderlines in the new treaty were drawn accurately and adequately in line with these documents. Hence, the rumours that Vietnam lost some territory are groundless. There must be no concessions when resolving issues relating to territorial border and sovereignty. While many people never been to the Ban Gioc waterfalls, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and many senior Vietnamese officials visited the falls and took many photographs there. Moreover, Ban Gioc falls are located on the Quay Son river border, and according to international law, river borderlines are marked following the median point of the stream flow or waterway. Therefore, there is no truth in the rumours that Vietnam lost its land at the Ban Gioc falls.
Reporter: Thank you.
Source: VOV