A border marker in the Indochina T-junction in Kontum province (Photo vnexpress.net)

Vietnam shares a land border of with China, Laos, and Cambodia totaling 5,500 km and a coastline of more than 3,000 km that borders the Tonkin Gulf, the East Sea and Gulf of Thailand. Vietnam strictly abides by conventions and border agreements and maintains borders of peace and stability.

Major achievements in 2017

Last year Vietnam and China worked closely on border management and protection under the Protocol on Border Delineation, the Agreement on Border Management Mechanism Regulation, and the Agreement on Border Gate and Border Gate Management Regulations. Bilateral border management mechanisms have been effectively implemented. The two countries have conducted joint patrols, exchanged information, and cooperated in combating cross-border national crime.

Vietnam and Laos have completed major legal documents on border management including the Protocol on Borderline and Border Markers, and the Agreement on Border and Border Gate Management. Last year, border localities and relevant agencies of the two countries conducted joint patrols, cooperated in dealing with border encounters, increased people-to-people exchanges, and trade cooperation, and maintained medical check-ups and study exchanges.

Last year Vietnam and Cambodia completed 84% of border marker plantation. They have strengthened border management cooperation under the 1983 Agreement on Border Regulation and worked closely in dealing with any border problems.

Vietnam has addressed pending border issues to protect its sovereignty, sovereignty rights and jurisdiction rights. It has resolutely dealt with East Sea violations to maintain its sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction rights over the sea, continental shelf, and islands based on international law including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Vietnam has taken advantage of international support for its stance against actions that complicated the situation.

2018 task of defending national borders

To maintain a peaceful, stable environment and resolutely protect its national territorial sovereignty, Vietnam plans to strengthen cooperation with China on land border management under signed agreements, closely follow, and promptly address encounters on the border, finalize the plantation and rehabilitation of Vietnam-Laos border markers, and work with Cambodia to certify 84% of the border marker plantation. Vietnam will promote the negotiation between ASEAN and China on the finalization of the Code of Conduct in the East Sea, and deal with sovereignty violations in line with international law including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.