Hai Phong (VNA) - The coast guards of Vietnam and China on May 22 conducted their joint patrol in the northern Gulf of Tonkin, covering the waters off Mong Cai city in Quang Ninh province and Dongxing and Fangchenggang cities in China’s Guangxi province.

The joint patrol, the second of its kind this year, spanned 102 nautical miles from Point 1 to Point 9 along the countries’ demarcation line in the Gulf of Tonkin. This area is a bustling zone for bilateral import-export and goods exchange activities. It is also a hotspot for illegal activities such as smuggling, trade fraud, illegal border crossings, and unauthorised maritime entries.

The Vietnam Coast Guard took the occasion to actively communicate with dozens of fishing vessels operating near the bordering waters to comply with regulations on illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The work aimed to help lift the European Commission (EC)’s yellow card warning imposed on Vietnam's seafood and promote the country’s sustainable fishery development.

Starting in 2024, joint patrols in the bordering waters are conducted quarterly to maintain security and law enforcement for citizens of both nations. These efforts contribute to the preservation and development of the Vietnam-China traditional friendship and neighbourliness as well as the cooperation between their coast guards./.