Việt Nam's Minister of National Defence Phan Văn Giang and his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun at the event at Youyi Guan Border Gate (China) on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photos

HÀ NỘI — The ninth Việt Nam–China Border Defence Friendship Exchange officially kicked off on Wednesday. The programme began in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China and will continue in Lạng Sơn Province of Việt Nam the following day.

Vietnamese Minister of National Defence General Phan Văn Giang and Chinese Minister of National Defence Senior Lieutenant General Dong Jun are co-chairing the event.

Key activities on Wednesday in China include an official welcome ceremony for the Vietnamese delegation, a visit to the Youyi Guan tourism area, a tour of the Youyi Guan border guard company, and a tree-planting ceremony.

The Vietnamese and Chinese defence ministers at the tree-planting ceremony symbolising bliateral friendship.

The two defence ministers will witness online the 38th joint naval patrol in the Gulf of Tonkin. This marks the first time that the naval forces from both countries have taken part in the Border Defence Friendship Exchange.

The delegations will also visit the smart border gate model at the Youyi Guan Border Gate, Primary School No 4 in Pingxiang City, and the model village of Zhou Lian in Ningming County. The day concludes with a banquet and a farewell ceremony for the Vietnamese delegation.

The Vietnamese and Chinese defence ministers and officers from the two countries pose for a photo at Youyi Guan Border Gate (China)

On Thursday, in Việt Nam, the main activities are scheduled to include a welcome ceremony for the Chinese delegation, a tree-planting ceremony, a visit to the Đồng Đăng Primary School and the ribbon-cutting ceremony for a newly constructed multipurpose building, a visit to the border guard post of the Hữu Nghị International Border Gate, a tour of the Viettel Military Industry - Telecoms Group’s logistics park, official talks, and a signing ceremony for cooperation documents.

As an annual event held in the border provinces of both countries, the Việt Nam–China Border Defence Friendship Exchange has seen continuous growth, with a diverse range of meaningful and practical activities. Over the years, the programme, which holds political significance, has contributed to bilateral defence cooperation, helping to deepen relations between the two countries and their militaries.

Chinese locals at the border dressed in traditional costumes in celebration of the friendship exchange

This year’s event follows the state visit to Việt Nam by Party General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping from April 14 to 15. During the visit, the two sides issued a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to deepening the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and advancing the building of a Việt Nam–China Community with a Shared Future that carries strategic significance.

In particular, the two sides reaffirmed the need to a more substantive pillar of defence and security cooperation, emphasising its role in strengthening the strategic trust between the two Parties and the two countries.

The ninth Việt Nam–China Border Defence Friendship Exchange reaffirms the crucial role of defence cooperation and the two defence ministries in fostering the traditional friendship and the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between Việt Nam and China.

The event also has special significance as it takes place in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the countries' diplomatic ties (January 18, 1950–2025) and the Year of Việt Nam–China Humanistic Exchange 2025. — VNA/VNS