Vietnam and China held the 16th round of negotiations of the Working Group on the sea area beyond the mouth of the Gulf of Tonkin in Guangdong province, after more than a year of interruption due to Covid-19.
The 16th round of negotiations of the Working Group on the Sea Area beyond the Gulf of Tonkin and the 13th round of negotiations of the Working Group on Cooperation for Joint Development at Sea took place in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China on July 4, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today.
This is the first round of direct negotiations between the two working groups since the outbreak of Covid-19, co-chaired by Deputy Head of the National Border Committee, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam Trinh Duc Hai and Deputy Director of the Department of Border and Maritime Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China Duong Nhan Hoa.
The two sides reaffirmed each other's principled stance on the issue of delimitation of the sea area outside the mouth of the Gulf of Tonkin and discussed cooperation for joint development at sea; exchanged opinions on these two issues in accordance with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Da Nang fishermen fishing in the Gulf of Tonkin. Photo: Thanh Nguyen
The two sides also agreed to respect each other's legitimate and legal concerns, seriously implement the important common perceptions reached between the leaders of the two Parties and two countries and the "Agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of Vietnam-China maritime issues", promote synchronous discussions on the delimitation of the sea area outside the mouth of the Gulf of Tonkin and cooperation for joint development at sea.
Vietnam and China agreed to promote maritime cooperation and soon negotiate and sign a new agreement on fisheries cooperation in the Gulf of Tonkin, contributing to maintaining peace and stability in the East Sea and the region, and actively contributing to the development of the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.
Vietnam and China began negotiations on the delimitation of the sea area outside the Gulf of Tonkin in early 2012, agreeing to conduct negotiations twice a year, held in rotation in each country. The most recent round of negotiations took place online in December 2021.
Experts assess that the Agreement on the Delimitation of the Gulf of Tonkin and the Agreement on Fisheries Cooperation in the Gulf of Tonkin signed by the two countries in 2000 have clearly defined the scope and created a clear and favorable international legal framework, creating conditions for each country to protect, manage, use, exploit, and economically develop its sea areas and continental shelves in the Gulf of Tonkin.
The demarcation line of the Gulf of Tonkin between Vietnam and China. Photo: International Newspaper
Huyen Le
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