Talks between Vietnamese and Chinese coast guards. Photo qdnd.vn

HÀ NỘI - The coast guards of Việt Nam and China on November 29 began joint patrols on the waters adjacent to the demarcation line in the Gulf of Tonkin.

This is the second joint patrol this year and the seventh since the Việt Nam-China agreement on fishery cooperation in the Gulf of Tonkin expired on June 30, 2020.

The joint patrol stretches across 13 points within 255.5 nautical miles. A range of activities, including talks, inspections and supervisions over fishing boats operating in the waters adjacent to the demarcation line, and raising the awareness of the two countries' fishermen about law observance are held.

On this occasion, the Vietnamese side established an inter-sectoral working group to monitor Vietnamese fishing boats’ observance of legal regulations and the European Commission (EC)’s recommendations on combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Colonel Lương Cao Khải, Vice Commander and Chief of Staff of the Việt Nam Coast Guard Region 1, who led the Vietnamese joint patrol force, noted that the event demonstrates close cooperation between law enforcement forces at sea of the two countries in the Gulf of Tonkin, and called it a bright spot in this regard in the region, helping to promote the traditional friendship between the two countries.

The joint patrol will last until December 1. VNS