Documents paving the way for border trade

The border has two functions: it is both a “fence” to protect national sovereignty and a gateway for economic and cultural exchange with neighboring countries. A great achievement that Vietnam has achieved since Doi Moi is to basically demarcate the border with neighboring countries, especially with China.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Nguyen Manh Cam and Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan signed the Land Border Treaty between the two countries in Hanoi on December 30, 1999. (Source: VNA)

Immediately after Vietnam-China relations were normalized in 1991, the two countries promoted negotiations and reached the Land Border Treaty between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the People's Republic of China on December 30, 1999, which laid the basis for the two sides to conduct field demarcation of the entire 1,449.566 km long border between the two countries.

With many difficulties and hardships, on December 31, 2008, the two sides announced the completion of the work of demarcation and marker planting on the land border. Nearly a year later, on November 18, 2009, the two countries signed three documents including: the Protocol on demarcation and marker planting on the land border, the Agreement on land border management regulations and the Agreement on border gates and regulations on management of land border gates between Vietnam and China.

The completion of border demarcation and marker planting between the two sides marks an important turning point in the history of Vietnam-China border construction and opens a new page in the peaceful and cooperative relations between the two countries. The three basic documents on border demarcation, border management and border gate management are extremely important not only for protecting the territorial border, but also creating a favorable basis for economic and cultural exchanges between Vietnam and China.

Trucks carrying export goods at Tan Thanh border gate. (Photo: VNA)

Over the past 25 years since the border was clearly demarcated, not only has the border line and border markers been maintained and territorial sovereignty guaranteed, but the two sides have also opened and upgraded dozens of border gates, including five international border gates, creating favorable conditions for increasingly bustling border economic exchanges, contributing significantly to economic development, while consolidating and strengthening peaceful and friendly relations.

The two countries' border trade is not small, about 40 billion USD/year. Through border gates, Vietnam exports to China many key agricultural products such as rice, vegetables, seafood, and spices, while importing many types of raw materials, machinery, components, electronic equipment, and chemicals from China to serve domestic production.

Along with the development of border trade, problems are inevitable, but in general, border trade, especially trade between Vietnam and China, has been and is making important contributions to the economic development of both sides, creating many job opportunities and economic development in border areas. In turn, economic relations between the two countries and between localities of the two countries also contribute to stabilizing the border, creating a position from afar to maintain security and long-term stability of the national border.

The face of the border in general, especially the Vietnam-China border, after 25 years of signing the three documents, has completely changed, with both peace and stability and vibrant trade exchanges. This is a great achievement, which not every country in the world can achieve, especially in the context of the complicated economic, political and security situation in many places in the world.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/nhung-van-kien-mo-duong-cho-thuong-mai-bien-mau-282802.html