China, Vietnam start 10th border defense friendship exchange

A Vietnamese naval fleet arrived in Fangchenggang of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Monday, marking the start of the 10th border defense friendship exchange between China and Vietnam.

The event is set to take place in designated areas and ports in Guangxi of China and Vietnam's Quang Ninh province, as well as waters in the Beibu Gulf during this week.

At 09:00 on Monday, Vietnam's frigates Tran Hung Dao and Ly Thai slowly entered a port in Fangchenggang City. The Vietnamese officers and soldiers received warm welcome from Chinese counterparts of frigates Hengyang and Enshi.

After the welcome ceremony, the Vietnamese fleet commander boarded the Hengyang frigate for a tour, where the two sides held discussions and exchanged souvenirs.

In the coming days, the two sides will organize naval vessel visits, cultural and sports exchanges, and will also form a fleet for the 40th China-Vietnam joint patrols and training exercises in the Beibu Gulf.

They will also hold medical consultations and cultural events with civilians in the border areas.

The China-Vietnam border defense friendship exchange, first held in 2014, is a concrete measure to implement the important consensus reached by leaders of the two parties and countries.

The event will further enhance the traditional friendship between the two countries and their armed forces, strengthen exchanges and mutual trust among personnel at all levels, deepen practical cooperation, and improve their joint ability to safeguard border and related maritime security.

All countries should provide a fair, just, and non-discriminatory business environment, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Friday.

Mao made the remarks at a regular press briefing in Beijing in response to a media query about international business environment and relevant laws.

"The Chinese government has always required Chinese enterprises to carry out international cooperation in compliance with international rules, laws and regulations. At the same time, we believe that all countries should protect the normal investment and business activities of enterprises and provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for that purpose," Mao said.