Scene of the meeting. Photo: Le Phuong/VOV5

The meeting was held within the framework of the 10th Vietnam-China Border Defense Friendship Exchange program held in Quang Ninh province.

According to General Giang, after 12 years and 10 editions, the exchange program has grown in scale and format with many meaningful activities, such as free medical examinations, treatment, and distribution of medicine to people on both sides of the border; cultural and artistic exchanges between students and people on both sides of the border, among others.

The exchange has become an important channel for contact between the leaders of the two Ministries of National Defense on issues of mutual interest, unifying directions for cooperation, aiming to make defense cooperation a true pillar in the relationship between the two countries. It has boosted people-to-people diplomacy and strengthened the bond between the border protection forces of the two countries. The Vietnamese Minister said the exchange program is one of the typical models of border defense cooperation and a bridge connecting the friendship between officers, soldiers, and people on both sides of the border.

Looking ahead, General Giang proposed that both sides promote the effectiveness of this exchange mechanism, making it more substantive, while intensifying communications to highlight the message of political trust, solidarity, and friendship between the two Parties, States, and two Armies of Vietnam and China.

For his part, the Chinese Minister General Dong Jun said that in recent years, the exchange has spread the spirit of friendship, contributed to the remarkable development of bilateral relations and played an important role in ensuring regional security, especially along the shared border. This activity also develops relations between the people in the border areas and promotes exchanges among the three countries of Vietnam, Laos, and China. General Dong Jun suggested that both sides strengthen exchanges, contributing to regional and global stability.

On this occasion, General Dong Jun invited General Phan Van Giang to attend this year's Xiangshan Forum.

On Wednesday afternoon, Deputy Minister of National Defense Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang presided over the farewell ceremony for General Dong Jun, Minister of National Defense of China, at the Mong Cai International Border Gate (bridge Bac Luan 1), who successfully concluded his activities in Vietnam within the framework of the 10th Vietnam-China Border Defense Friendship Exchange.

On Thursday morning, General Dong Jun will welcome General Phan Van Giang and the Vietnamese delegation who will join exchange activities in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.