The 7th Vietnam - China Border Defence Friendship Exchange was held in Cao Bang

“In 2022, China maintained the "Zero - COVID" policy, so some direct foreign activities were interrupted” said Senior Lieutenant Colonel Luong Tuan Long, Deputy Political Commissar of the Border Guard Command of Cao Bang province. “In contrast, the illegal entry and exit is complicated. Objects use many sophisticated methods and tricks. They form organized lines, so the time of identity investigation and verification is difficult”.

In that context, the Party Committee and Command of the Cao Bang Border Guard have proactively implemented synchronously the border diplomacy and people-to-people diplomacy; thoroughly grasp, implement and maintain strictly the directives, resolutions and plans of Vietnam Border Guard Command, the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People's Committee on the national defense diplomacy, border diplomacy as well as the signed agreements. The Provincial Border Guard Command has closely directed border representatives, border clusters and border guard stations to flexibly adjust external relations in various forms such as online talks, at-the-border meetings, phone calls, exchange of letters, etc. in order to timely handle and settle border arising cases, thereby firmly protecting the national sovereignty, territorial integrity, public order and social security.

With the initiative in closely and synchronously implementing border diplomacy, Cao Bang Border Guard Command timely advised Vietnam Border Guard Command, the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee to coordinate in organizing successfully the 7th Vietnam - China Border Defense Friendship Exchange in Cao Bang. Cao Bang Border Guard coordinated with departments, branches and localities to advise the Provincial Party Committee to organize the virtual conference of 2022 Spring Meeting between the Secretaries of the Party Committees of Cao Bang, Lang Son, Quang Ninh and Ha Giang and the Secretary of the China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region; closely worked with the Border Guard Commands of the provinces of Quang Ninh, Lang Son and Ha Giang to hold more than 20 regular online talks with the Chinese side, which achieved many positive results, contributing to consolidating cooperative relations and strengthening solidarity and friendship with Chinese border management forces.

In addition to being proactive in border diplomacy, Cao Bang Border Guard Command has actively implemented people-to-people diplomacy. In 2022, it advised the Provincial Party Committee and Provincial People's Committee to hold the virtual conferences of 2022 Spring Meeting between the Secretaries of the Party Committees of Cao Bang, Lang Son, Quang Ninh and Ha Giang and the Secretary of China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region; the 13th Meeting of the Joint Working Committee between four border provinces of Cao Bang, Quang Ninh, Lang Son, Ha Giang and China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region; talks at district level on coordination to promote economic development.

Online talks between border guard stations of Cao Bang, Ha Giang and Baise border Management Unit (Guangxi, China)

Border stations regularly exchange letters with the Chinese side on import-export of goods, supervision and management of border fence construction, announcement of suspension of customs clearance of goods; attend talks at district level on coordination of economic promotion between Thach An district (Cao Bang province) and Longzhou district (Guangxi, China); organize at-the-border meetings to agree on the border fence construction, etc.

Chairwoman of the People’s Committee of Tra Linh town (Trung Khanh district) said that in 2022 the Chinese side had activities of border fence construction in the town’s area where had not yet reached a common understanding on the direction of the border line. The People's Committee of Tra Linh town coordinated with the Tra Linh Border Guard Station to advise the People's Committee of Trung Khanh district to hold talks with the Chinese side for the strict compliance with the Agreement on Regulations on Management of the Vietnam-China land border. As a result, the two sides agreed to settle the matter in the spirit of dialogue and friendship.

With the initiative, positivity and flexibility, the Border Guard of Cao Bang province has effectively implemented the border diplomacy. This contributes to creating a new step forward in the border guard diplomacy and people-to-people diplomacy between the two countries. Thereby the friendship, cooperation and development between the two Sides have been promoted, making an important contribution to the local socio-economic development.