Viet Nam, China kick-start 9th defense friendship exchange
VGP - The 9th Viet Nam-China Border Defense Friendship Exchange kick-started in China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Viet Nam's Lang Son province on April 16.
Chinese Minister of National Defense Dong Jun (right) welcomes his Vietnamese counterpart Phan Van Giang (left) at the Viet Nam-China border demarcation line.
The Vietnamese delegation is led by General Phan Van Giang, Minister of National Defense while the Chinese delegation is headed by Chinese Minister of National Defense Senior Lieutenant General Dong Jun.
The exchange is held right after the State visit to Viet Nam by General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping and at the time that the two countries are celebrating the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations.
Minister of National Defense Phan Van Giang paints the national sovereign marker on the Vietnamese side.
It is a testament to the determination of the two parties, two states and people of the two countries to jointly foster the two countries' time-honored friendship, thus deepening their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.
In the joint statement issued on the occasion of the Chinese top leader’s visit, the two sides reaffirmed to build the pillar of defense and security cooperation in a more practical manner. They also agreed to strengthen exchanges of high-levels and all levels between the two militaries, and promote role of such mechanisms as border defense friendship exchange and defense strategic dialogue.
Prior to the exchange, Minister Phan Van Giang and the high-ranking delegation of the Ministry of National Defense saluted and painted Marker 1116 on the Vietnamese side./.
