Vietnam-China Border Festival

2024 marks the 10th anniversary of the Vietnam-China Border Defense Friendship Exchange Mechanism. With many rich, diverse, practical, and meaningful activities, this initiative has left a deep impression and continues to contribute to the widespread dissemination of friendship and solidarity between the armies and peoples of the two countries.

Young people from Lao Cai and Ha Khau performed cultural shows celebrating the friendship between Vietnam and China.

Vibrant activities of friendship exchanges and talks are taking place along the Vietnam-China border.

A meeting point for friendship.

One day at the end of the year, the Vietnam-China Border Friendship Cultural Center (Ban Lau commune, Muong Khuong district, Lao Cai province) was bustling with laughter and greetings. About 20 people from Ban Lau commune prepared tea, cigarettes, and fruit to welcome their neighbors from Nanxi town, Yunnan province, China – a sister commune of Ban Lau – who came to visit. When nearly 10 people from Tam Binh Ba and Dien Phong hamlets (Namxi town) entered the cultural center, the people of Coc Phuong and Na Loc 4 villages (both in Ban Lau commune) greeted them warmly.

While sharing tea, they exchanged stories about their daily lives, discussing farming and livestock raising experiences. This was a visit between neighboring friends sharing the Ba Ket River, the river that forms the natural border between Vietnam and China. More than 10 years ago, in August 2013, Coc Phuong village established a sister village relationship with Tam Binh Ba hamlet. Subsequently, in May 2015, Na Loc 4 village established a sister village relationship with Dien Phong hamlet.

According to Mr. Sung Nha (Na Loc 4 village), the two sides only got to know each other after forming a brotherhood, then became close friends. The people on both sides can speak and understand each other's languages.

It is known that the people of Coc Phuong village and Tam Binh Ba hamlet also pooled money to buy a drum together to use for weddings and funerals. The two sides take turns keeping the drum; if either side has an event, they take it back to use. Whenever they hear the drum from their "neighbor," the people on both sides proactively contact each other to help with the event.

At 4 PM, about 50 people gathered at the Vietnam-China Border Friendship Cultural Center in Dong Van commune, Binh Lieu district, Quang Ninh province. Some were playing with the 15 sets of exercise equipment donated by the Ministry of National Defense , others were playing football, volleyball, and folk dancing. The sounds of people calling out to each other, music, and lively conversations filled the air amidst the surrounding mountains and forests.

A sporting event took place at the Vietnam-China Border Friendship Cultural Center in Dong Van commune, Binh Lieu district, Quang Ninh province.

According to Mr. Hoang Minh Tuyen, Party Secretary and Head of the Market Area in Dong Van commune, Binh Lieu district, Quang Ninh province, the Vietnam-China Border Friendship Cultural House, inaugurated in 2021 within the framework of the 6th Vietnam-China Border Defense Friendship Exchange Program, has become a common home for the people of Dong Van commune, Binh Lieu district, Quang Ninh province (Vietnam) and the people of Dong Trung town, Fangcheng district, Guangxi province (China).

Since its opening, people of the Tay, Dao, and Kinh ethnic groups in the border area of ​​Dong Van commune have come to the Vietnam-China Border Friendship Cultural Center to meet, exchange ideas, and receive new information from both sides of the border... In this border region, everyone is proud to share a cultural center and a shared sports field.

According to the Commander of the Border Guard, six border friendship cultural centers have been built along the Vietnam-China border to date, including: the Vietnam-China Border Friendship Cultural Center in Po To village (Huoi Luong commune, Phong Tho district, Lai Chau province); the Vietnam-China Border Friendship Cultural Center in Na Loc 3 village (Ban Lau commune, Muong Khuong district, Lao Cai province); the Vietnam-China Border Friendship Cultural Center in Chi Ma village (Yen Khoai commune, Loc Binh district, Lang Son province); the Ta Lung Friendship Cultural Center in Phuc Hoa district, Cao Bang province; the Vietnam-China Friendship Cultural Center (Dong Van commune, Binh Lieu district, Quang Ninh province); and the Vietnam-China Friendship Cultural Center in Ban Phiệt commune, Bao Thang district, Lao Cai province.

The construction of friendship cultural centers is one of the activities of the Vietnam-China Border Defense Friendship Exchange Program, organized since 2014, with the aim of strengthening relations between the two Parties, governments, and peoples of the two countries.

To date, Vietnam and China have successfully co-organized eight Vietnam-China Border Defense Friendship Exchanges. These programs, held annually, have contributed to enriching, developing, and perfecting the forms and mechanisms of cooperation that the Ministries of Defense and border protection forces of the two countries have been implementing.

In addition, the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence has supported and constructed two projects serving local economic development; one rural road project… with a total cost of over 100 billion VND, contributing to improving the lives of the people and socio-economic development in the border area; creating a widespread impact on the friendship and solidarity between the people and border protection forces of the two countries, on the good relationship between Vietnam and China, and on the peaceful, friendly, cooperative and developing Vietnam-China border.

Many initiatives and collaborative models have been disseminated and replicated, contributing to maintaining a peaceful and stable environment and ensuring national border security, such as: the "Friendly Border Guard Post - Station, Peaceful Border" twinning model; the "Friendly Border Guard Post - Station, Harmonious Border Gate" twinning model, which has so far established 82 pairs of border guard posts and stations on both sides of the border; advising local authorities to organize twinning for 67 pairs of border communities; "Building a Model Border Line"; "Solidarity Patrol"; "Vietnam-China Border Guard Friendship Forest"; "Political Work Exchange"; "Coordination in Law Enforcement on the Vietnam-China Land Border"; "Friendship Ambassador"...

The construction of friendship cultural centers is one of the activities of the Vietnam-China Border Defense Friendship Exchange Program, organized since 2014, with the aim of strengthening relations between the two Parties, governments, and peoples of the two countries.

Creating many new models

Major General Le Duc Thai, Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam and Commander of the Border Guard, stated that in the coming period, the border and border gate protection forces of the two countries will continue to implement key contents according to established cooperation mechanisms, strengthen coordination in law enforcement, protect the border and boundary markers, and manage border gates; consolidate trust and promote mutually beneficial cooperation in a substantive, friendly, harmonious, and sustainable manner. The border gate system will continue to be invested in, upgraded, and technology will be applied to improve the efficiency of border gate customs clearance.

At the same time, based on the specific situation and conditions, we will proactively implement joint talks and patrols, strengthen joint exercises in counter-terrorism, respond to non-traditional security challenges, provide cross-border medical assistance, hold military sports competitions, and maintain the regularity and effectiveness of these activities.

Furthermore, the Border Guard Command continues to direct the Border Guard Commands of the 7 northern border provinces to closely coordinate with the border and border gate protection forces of the neighboring country to enhance the scale and expand the content and forms of implementing effective diplomatic models such as: the "Building a Model Border," "Friendship Ambassador," "Solidarity Patrol," "Model Border Gate," etc., and conduct political activities such as "The Party Flag Illuminating the Border," "Vietnam-China Friendship, Heart to Heart," "Planting Friendship Trees," etc. The positive impact of these models has shown that the border and border gate protection forces of the two countries have become more closely connected and in agreement, creating activities to manage and protect the common border more effectively.

Source: https://thoidai.com.vn/ngay-hoi-bien-gioi-viet-trung-200547.html