Dien Bien on the path to integration

A delegation from the People's Government of Pu'er City, Yunnan Province (People's Republic of China) visited and worked with Dien Bien Province (Socialist Republic of Vietnam).

The A Pa Chai Border Guard Post manages and protects a 38.281km long border with 16 border markers on the Vietnam-Laos and Vietnam-China borders. In 2023 alone, the A Pa Chai Border Guard Post participated in four working meetings between the Provincial People's Committee, the Provincial Border Guard Command, and the Muong Nha District People's Committee and the Yunnan Provincial and Jiangcheng District governments. Both sides exchanged views and agreed on upgrading the A Pa Chai - Long Phu border crossing into a bilateral border gate and reopening entry and exit activities at the crossing. They also actively disseminated legal regulations to residents on both sides of the border at the crossing, contributing to the education of the people on each side to strictly implement border agreements and regulations.

Sharing about the results of border guard foreign relations work, Lieutenant Colonel Doan Thanh Tuan, Political Officer of A Pa Chai Border Guard Station, said: In addition to organizing regular or unscheduled talks, bilateral patrols, and sending letters to border protection forces on the opposite side, the unit regularly coordinates with the Giang Thanh Border Management and Protection Company and the Long Phu Sub-station, Muong Khang Immigration Station (China) to conduct foreign relations propaganda in two languages (Vietnamese - Chinese) at the A Pa Chai - Long Phu border crossing, distributing leaflets on laws to people crossing the border on both sides. In addition, the unit has advised the local authorities on organizing people-to-people foreign relations activities; maintaining and implementing twinning activities between the two communes: Sin Thau and Sen Thuong, Muong Nha district, Dien Bien province (Socialist Republic of Vietnam) and Khuc Thuy town, Giang Thanh district, Dien Bien province. Pu'er, Yunnan Province (People's Republic of China)... This is one of the "highlights" in the unit's border defense foreign relations work over the past year.

A delegation from Khuc Thuy town, Giang Thanh district, Yunnan province, China, visited and held talks with border communes in Muong Nha district.

In the current context, promoting and strengthening traditional relations with neighboring Laos and China, as well as with international friends, plays a crucial role. In 2023, Dien Bien province organized eight high-level delegations to promote trade, investment cooperation, and showcase the province's unique cultural features and distinctive products in countries such as Japan, France, Switzerland, and Algeria. The Northwest and Ho Chi Minh City Culture and Tourism Week in Luang Prabang province (Lao People's Democratic Republic) left a lasting positive impression on international tourists and the Lao people. The Northwest and Ho Chi Minh City Culture and Tourism Week in Luang Prabang was a joint festival, creating a vibrant cultural and tourism space filled with friendship in the land of the Champa flower. Through the activities and events during the Culture and Tourism Week, the determination of localities in both countries to preserve and cultivate the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos is affirmed.

As the only province in Vietnam bordering both China and Laos, Dien Bien province has recently strengthened its special friendship and comprehensive cooperation with neighboring provinces. Dien Bien has intensified its Party-to-People diplomatic activities with the northern provinces of Laos and Yunnan province (China). In addition to exchanging delegations, visiting and congratulating on holidays, national days, and important events of both countries, the province has also facilitated the participation of organizations and people on both sides of the border in cultural and sports exchanges, art performances, family visits, business cooperation, and trade. The province has successfully coordinated the annual conference between the Party Secretaries of the four northern border provinces of Vietnam and the Party Secretary of Yunnan province, China, as well as regular meetings of the Joint Working Group between Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Lao Cai, Ha Giang provinces and Yunnan province.

Meeting to exchange experiences between the Dien Bien Provincial Border Guard Command and the Luang Prabang Provincial Security Department (Lao People's Democratic Republic).

During a courtesy meeting with the delegation from the People's Government of Pu'er City, Yunnan Province, in July 2023, Comrade Tran Quoc Cuong, Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam and Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, affirmed that the relationship between Dien Bien Province and Yunnan Province has developed very positively recently. Therefore, he hoped that both sides would continue to promote tourism to bring delegations of people and youth to Dien Bien for sightseeing. He also hoped for favorable conditions to facilitate Chinese businesses to connect and trade with Dien Bien and other Northwestern provinces. In particular, he emphasized the need to focus on infrastructure development and upgrade the A Pa Chai - Long Phu border crossing to a bilateral border gate to bring agricultural and forestry products from Dien Bien in particular, and Northwestern provinces of Vietnam in general, to the Chinese market, as well as to facilitate the movement of people from both sides for visits, trade, and exchange of goods through the border gate.

Along with promoting diplomatic relations with neighboring localities, Dien Bien province has also strengthened connections and established friendly cooperative and sister-city relationships with several localities in Japan, South Korea, and France. Effective cooperation with embassies of foreign countries in Vietnam, international organizations, and foreign non-governmental organizations aims to attract resources to support socio-economic development and improve the lives of the people in the area. Establishing cooperative and friendly relationships with international partners is of paramount importance to Dien Bien province. The increasingly substantive and effective foreign relations activities have contributed to building a peaceful, friendly, and cooperative border with neighboring countries; firmly protecting national independence, sovereignty, and border security. At the same time, it has showcased the achievements, economic strengths, and potential of the country in general and Dien Bien province in particular to foreign partners. creating favorable conditions for the economic, cultural, and social development of the province in the coming period.

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