China, Vietnam start 10th border defense friendship exchange

China

China, Vietnam start 10th border defense friendship exchange

2026-03-16 20:34 Last Updated At：03-17 12:14

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.

Security Council to focus on UN's role, Middle East, Africa in May: Chinese envoy

With China assuming the rotating presidency on Friday, the United Nations Security Council will focus its work in May on revitalizing the authority of the UN Charter and the role of the United Nations, while advancing the political settlement of the Middle East issue, and promoting the stability and development of African countries.

Briefing reporters on the Security Council's priorities for May, Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations and president of the Security Council for May, made the statement on Friday.

In recent years, the world has been witnessing growing turbulence in the international landscape, with conflicts increasing, divisions widening, and the multilateral system, along with international law, under considerable strain, he said, urging the international community to take urgent actions to uphold the authority of the UN Charter and strengthen the role of the United Nations to prevent the world from "relapsing into the jungle" and "to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war".

In this context, Fu said, the Security Council will convene a high-level open debate in May under the theme of upholding the purposes and the principles of the UN Charter and strengthening the UN-centered international system.