Viet Nam and China held the 12^th round of negotiations of the working group on the sea area beyond the mouth of the Gulf of Tonkin and the 9^th round of talks of the working group for consultation on cooperation for mutual development at sea in Beijing on December 25 and 26.

Viet Nam's coast guards on way to reach a China Coast Guard vessel to attend a meeting to review the joint fisheries inspection in 2019 (Photo: VNA)

The Vietnamese delegation was led by Phung The Long, Vice Chairman of the National Boundary Commission under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Meanwhile, the Chinese side was led by Hong Liang, Director of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs under the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In a friendly, straightforward and constructive atmosphere, the two sides exchanged opinions about the two working groups’ activities. They affirmed the serious adherence to the common perceptions reached by the countries’ leaders, including the 2011 agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of sea-related issues and directions given by the heads of the governmental-level negotiation delegations for border and territorial affairs.

They shared the view that on the basis of the agreed road map and international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, to which both Viet Nam and China are parties, the two countries will exert efforts to promote negotiations on the delimitation of the sea area beyond the mouth of the Gulf of Tonkin and cooperation for mutual development in the East Sea.

The officials also agreed to organise the next rounds of negotiations of the two working groups in Viet Nam soon.

During his stay in Beijing, head of the Vietnamese delegation Phung The Long paid a courtesy call on Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Luo Zhaohui.

(Source: VNA)