The Viet Nam People’s Navy and the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) of China have conducted their 11th joint patrol in the Bac Bo (Tonkin) Gulf.

Two Vietnamese naval boats, the HQ375 and HQ376, led by Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff, Colonel Nguyen Van Kiem, and two PLAN boats, 755 and 733, led by Nanhai Fleet Colonel Liang Shanguo, began the two-day joint patrol at 8am on Sunday with a journey of more than 300 nautical miles along the delineated waters that border Viet Nam and China in the Bac Bo (Tonkin) Gulf.

The patrol was intended to maintain security and order at sea, supervise fishing vessel activities and ensure that the Agreement on Fishing Co-operation in the Bac Bo (Tonkin) Gulf and the Agreement on Delimitation of the Bac Bo (Tonkin) Gulf signed between the Vietnamese and Chinese Governments were being observed.

The patrol also aimed to stabilise normal production activities of fishermen from the two countries in the Bac Bo Gulf, to share experiences between the two navies and promote friendship between the two navies, armies and peoples.

Colonel Kiem said the joint patrol reflected the development of the traditional neighbouring co-operative relationship and the enhancement of mutual understanding and trust between the two armies and navies.

He said that respecting previously signed agreements was one of the factors in promoting friendly relations between the two countries and ensuring stability and security at sea.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News