This morning marked the official opening of the 9th Vietnam-China Border Defense Friendship Exchange. At the Huu Nghi International Border Gate (Lang Son Province), Chinese Minister of National Defense General Dong Jun welcomed Vietnamese Minister of National Defense General Phan Van Giang.

At the start of the event, General Phan Van Giang and the high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense conducted a ceremonial salute and painted the sovereignty marker 1116, officially launching the activities of the exchange program.

Immediately after, the Vietnamese delegation crossed the Huu Nghi International Border Gate into China to participate in the planned exchange events. A formal send-off ceremony was held for the delegation.

The streets of Lang Son and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region were filled with flags, flowers, and banners welcoming the event. Thousands of Vietnamese and Chinese citizens, dressed in colorful traditional attire, lined the streets to greet the Vietnamese delegation.

In China, the Vietnamese delegation will tour the Huu Nghi Border Gate Tourism Area, visit the Huu Nghi Border Guard Unit, witness an online briefing by joint naval patrol teams before a coordinated patrol, plant a friendship tree, visit the smart border gate, tour Bianjiang Primary School No. 4 in Pingxiang City, and explore the Chu Lien model village in Ningming County.

The Vietnam-China Border Defense Friendship Exchange follows the recent state visit to Vietnam by Chinese General Secretary and President Xi Jinping. The exchange also coincides with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

In their joint statement during Xi’s visit, both nations reaffirmed the need to build a more substantive defense and security cooperation pillar. They also agreed to enhance high-level and multi-level military exchanges, and to continue leveraging mechanisms such as the border defense friendship exchange and defense strategy dialogues.

Le Anh Dung & Tran Thuong