Vietnam, China Coast Guards conclude joint patrol on Gulf of Tonkin: The Coast Guard forces of Vietnam and China hold talks on Vietnam's Coast Guard Vessel 8004 during the joint patrol. (Source: VNA)

This is the first joint patrol in those waters this year and the sixth since the Vietnam-China agreement on fishery cooperation in the Gulf of Tonkin expired on June 30, 2020.

Each side dispatched two ships to join in the patrol, which covered waters along 13 points on the delimitation line with a total distance of 255.5 nautical miles from the point 48km northeast of Con Co island to the point 14 miles southeast of Tran island.

During the patrol, the two sides conducted face-to-face talks, monitoring of fishing vesels of both countries operating in the waters adjacent to the delimitation line and communication activities on legal compliance.

On this occasion, the Vietnamese Coast Guard force set up a working group to inspect Vietnamese fishing ships’ compliance to regulations related to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The force also held a ceremony to pay tribute to fallen soldiers and people who died in the Gulf of Tonkin.

Commander of the Vietnam Coast Guard Major General Le Quang Dao, who led the Vietnamese side in the joint patrol, said the activity is a success in all aspects, contributing to the development of the ties between the two countries in general and the two coast guard forces in particular.