Two Vietnam navy ships were to end a patrol in cooperation with Chinese navy in the waters of the Bac Bo Gulf (the Gulf of Tonkin) Monday.

After the patrol started on Sunday, the Vietnamese HQ375 and HQ376 ships would visit China and meet with Chinese navy forces in Guangdong province, according to the news source.

The patrol, which covered a distance of 306 nautical miles in the waters lying on the border between the two countries, aimed to maintain security, enforce the fishery agreement that Vietnam and China signed in 2004, and give the navy forces chances to exchange their experiences.

Vietnam and China signed a demarcation treaty for the area in 2000.

The Quan Doi Nhan Dan (People’s Army) newspaper quoted quoted Col. Nguyen Van Kiem, deputy chief of staff of Vietnam’s navy, as saying that "respecting the signed agreements is one of the factors that will promote the friendly and neighborly relations between two countries and ensure sustainable stability and security at sea."