HANOI (Reuters): Coastguard forces of Vietnam and China on Monday conducted joint patrols in the Gulf of Tonkin, Vietnamese state media reported.
The patrols off Vietnam's northern province of Quang Ninh and China's Guangxi autonomous region are aimed at boosting cooperation and law enforcement, reported Vietnam News Agency.
Vietnam News agency had earlier reported that the coast guards of Vietnam and China have agreed to conduct joint patrols quarterly to prevent crimes and violations in the waters adjacent to the delimitation line in the Gulf of Tonkin.
This agreement was reached during an online meeting held on January 31 between the two sides.
The meeting was co-chaired by Colonel Luong Dinh Hung, Director of the Department of Professional Affairs and Law under the Vietnam Coast Guard and Colonel Ding Wengang, director of the law enforcement department of the Nanhai branch of the China Coast Guard, Vietnam news agency (VNA) reported.
Besides a consensus on sharing information on crimes in the Gulf of Tonkin, mainly drug trafficking and illegal immigration, the two sides agreed to work together to sketch out plans for crime prevention as well as joint actions.
The Vietnamese coast guard force has recorded signs of trafficking, trade fraud, drug crimes and illegal transport of oil in the waters of Mong Cai city - the locality with robust trade activities with China.
According to Colonel Hung, sophisticated methods and tricks of criminals coupled with violations of fishing vessels from the two countries have posed risks to the security order in the waters.
Vietnam and China approved the agreement on maritime boundary delimitation in the Gulf of Tonkin in 2004. In the past, the pact contributed towards consolidating their traditional friendship as well as maintaining and promoting stability and development in the waters.
