The China-Vietnam joint patrols in the Beibu Gulf in April this year are presented as a successful case of maintaining maritime order, peace and stability in the South China Sea, experts said.
The Beibu Gulf is a closed coastal bay in the northwestern part of the South China Sea. It is a shared maritime area for China and Vietnam. It is also a traditional fishing ground for both sides.
In 2000, China and Vietnam agreed on the demarcation of the gulf. Since 2005, the two countries have held regular joint patrols.
During the first joint patrol in 2024, the China Coast Guard deployed vessels 4302 and 4203, and the Vietnam Coast Guard, vessels 8003 and 8004. This operation includes the exchange of law enforcement practices, jointly boarding of vessels and responding to maritime emergencies.
Pang Ning is the captain of China Coast Guard Ship 4302. He came on board in 2016, the same year the annual patrol was upgraded from once a year to twice a year.
"We have frequently encountered Vietnamese fishing boats and coast guard vessels. There have been frictions and cooperation. So we do hope to reduce the frictions and boost cooperation and friendship," Pang said.
The four vessels sail in formation along the China-Vietnam maritime demarcation line, patrolling from south to north. The two sides share pertinent information in a timely manner and alternate command of the vessels. Joint meetings for officers enhance patrol coordination.
"We are delighted to board the Vietnam 8004 vessel and to meet with our comrades on the 1st China-Vietnam joint patrol in the Beibu Gulf of 2024," said Wu Youlin, deputy director of the South China Sea Bureau, China Coast Guard.
Cross-border fishing has been a persistent challenge for coast guards. Effective law enforcement requires cooperation. This challenge was addressed on Day Two of the China-Vietnam joint patrol.
A Vietnamese fishing boat crossing the line to fish in Chinese waters was persuaded to leave immediately by China Coast Guard ships. "When we found out it was a Vietnamese fishing boat, we notified the Vietnamese side as soon as possible. Then we persuaded it to leave, to make it sail away immediately and return to the Vietnamese waters," said Pang. "During the joint patrol, we normally maintain friendly communication between our two sides. Usually, they sail away through our persuasion. Then it's up to the Vietnam Coast Guard to deal with them," he added.
The Vietnamese side also educated the fishermen.
"Through our joint patrol, including our daily routine patrol, we really need to deeply convey this legal and sovereignty awareness to the fishers of both countries, to carry out fishing operations in a rational and orderly manner," said Pang.
Both sides agreed that the direct exchanges have improved the level of coordination and enhances their capability to manage maritime emergencies and maintain security. According to the China Coast Guard, the two sides will gradually expand their cooperation in striking smuggling, drugs and illegal border crossings.
"This joint activity is a good opportunity for the two coast guards to have exchanges, sharing experiences in law enforcement, as well search and rescue, to deepen the Vietnam-China unity and friendship," said Luong Cao Khai, second-in-command and chief of staff of the Vietnam Coast Guard Region 1.
"The sea connects us all, it requires joint efforts from everyone around it, to maintain its blue tranquility and protect this blue treasure," said Pang.
Experts say that given the current tensions in the South China Sea, China-Vietnam joint patrols carry special significance for maritime order and peace. China hopes this pragmatic approach may serve as a model for cooperation in the region.
"I believe this is a successful case of maritime joint law enforcement between the two countries. The Beibu Gulf model can be replicated in the South China Sea," said Wu Shicun, chairman of the Huayang Research Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance under the National Institute for South China Sea Studies in Haikou City of China's southernmost island province of Hainan.
"If this withstood the test of time, and it remains available despite the vicissitudes in the relations between China and Vietnam, then I cannot rule out the possibility that this can become a possible guide for coastal states in the South China Sea to consider," said Lucio Blanco Pitlo III, a research fellow of the Asia Pacific Pathways to Progress Foundation, a Manila-based independent policy think-tank.
China-Vietnam joint patrols maintain maritime peace in South China Sea
