Highlights

Over the past 10 years (from 2014 to 2024), the Lao Cai Border Guard Party Committee and Command have flexibly and creatively applied research and implemented foreign affairs models and activities in many forms, suitable to the characteristics and situation on the border of Lao Cai province, Vietnam and Yunnan province, China. Notably, 8 effective methods and models have been developed and implemented. Of these, 6/8 models are being implemented nationwide for the first time:

Accordingly, every quarter, the Border Guard Command of Lao Cai Province (Vietnam) and the Border Guard of Mong Tu District (China) take turns to preside over bilateral patrols at the command level. Every quarter, the two sides determine pairs of equal units and set specific patrol times for each unit. The two sides can agree on surprise patrols before important events of each country, holidays, New Year, and traditional days of the force. The patrol area from border marker No. 85 to border marker No. 172 is divided into 11 patrol sections, each section is in charge of a patrol team of each side.

At the station level, the model has been implemented in practice since 2005 and has been completed in terms of mechanism and put into regular operation since the first quarter of 2018; this is a step to implement the Border Cooperation Agreement between the Ministry of National Defense of Vietnam and the Ministry of National Defense of China signed on November 12, 2017. Due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, there were times when the above activities were interrupted and have been resumed regularly since the third quarter of 2023.

The Lao Cai Border Guard Command with the Hong Ha Border Management Team, the Hekou Immigration Border Control Station, Yunnan Province, China agreed to implement a joint patrol mechanism, periodically organized from the 15th to the 25th of each month on a rotational basis; sudden patrols can be conducted before important events of each country. The purpose is to patrol, inspect, and strictly control the border, combat and prevent illegal entry, exit, and transportation of goods across the border, arrest law violators, and hand over and return victims.

The model, implemented since 2013, has created a favorable environment and conditions, contributing significantly to the task of managing and firmly protecting sovereignty and border security.

Once a quarter, Lao Cai International Border Gate Border Guard Station, Lao Cai Province, Vietnam and Hekou Border Control Station, Yunnan Province, China select outstanding officers and soldiers in performing their duties at the border gate to award the title of "Vietnam - China Friendship Ambassador".

Thereby, strengthening the solidarity and friendship between the two sides of the border, serving well the work of entry and exit. The model has been implemented since 2016, up to now, 17 "Friendship Ambassadors" have been elected on each side.

Every quarter, Lao Cai International Border Guard Station, Lao Cai Province, Vietnam and Hekou Border Control Station, Yunnan Province, China select outstanding party members in performing their duties at the border gate to award the title of “Outstanding Communist Party Member”. From the second quarter of 2018 to present, 8 outstanding party members have been selected on each side.

Border posts under the Lao Cai Border Guard organize twinning with border management units, border gates of the border guard force and border police on the opposite side of Yunnan province, China. Regularly organize meetings and discussions; every December, conduct preliminary reviews, evaluate results, and give rewards. In addition, the two sides regularly exchange expertise, information, coordinate to propagate laws to the people and fight against crimes. The two sides coordinate together to protect the environment, prevent and overcome the consequences of natural disasters, epidemics, search and rescue, and cultural and sports exchanges, visit each other, etc. Thereby, increasing mutual understanding and trust.

Currently, there are 10 border posts under the Lao Cai Border Guard, Lao Cai province, Vietnam, which have established twinning relationships with 15 sub-stations, exit and entry border control stations, border management companies, and border guard battalions of Yunnan province, China.

The two sides organized exchanges and learning about legal propaganda between the Border Guards of Lao Cai, Lai Chau, Ha Giang, Dien Bien provinces of Vietnam and the General Department of Border Police of Yunnan province, China. The two sides organized a photo exhibition reflecting the activities of friendship stations and harmonious border gates; coordinated propaganda and dissemination of laws at border gates; law enforcement patrol activities on the border; sent legal reporters from each side to practice legal propaganda and report at the seminar; screened video clips; and exchanged culture and arts. The model has been implemented since 2017, organized in rotation, odd years held in Yunnan province, China and even years held in Lao Cai province, Vietnam.

Since May 2015, the Lao Cai Border Guard Command, Lao Cai Province, Vietnam and the Hong Ha District Border Police Department, Yunnan Province, China have discussed and agreed to deploy a joint exercise to combat cross-border terrorism. The two sides have organized two exercises, each side mobilizing about 350 officers and soldiers to participate in the exercise.

The Lao Cai Provincial Border Guard Command has directed units to coordinate with the Vietnam Fatherland Front and agencies, departments and branches to do a good job of advising local authorities to organize twinning, maintain and implement twinning contents between residential areas on both sides of the border. The model has been implemented since 2013, up to now, there have been 7 pairs of villages, hamlets and towns on both sides of the border that have been twinned. Through twinning models, the two sides have coordinated to disseminate to the people the viewpoints, guidelines, policies, and laws of the Party and State of Vietnam; legal documents on the Vietnam-China land border; and the traditional solidarity and friendship between the people of the two countries. The two sides also organized activities to exchange and learn experiences, coordinate patrols to protect the border and landmarks; exchange information, coordinate in the fight against violations of border regulations and activities of all kinds of criminals; Organize cultural and artistic exchange activities...

In addition to the above models and methods, Lao Cai Border Guard and the border management and protection forces on the other side also increased information exchange, notification, and coordination in deploying forces to perform forest fire prevention and fighting tasks; disease prevention, rescue on border rivers and streams... The two sides also established a hotline mechanism, exchanged information through liaison officers or met directly on the border to coordinate in resolving cases and incidents that arise and suddenly occur on the border...

The models and creative approaches in border diplomacy of Lao Cai Border Guards are evaluated by superiors of Vietnamese and Chinese authorities as exemplary models, popularized and replicated across the Vietnam - China border. Since then, they have made an important contribution to firmly protecting national sovereignty and border security, building a border of peace, friendship, cooperation and development.

Presented by: Hoang Thu

* The article uses photos provided by contributors.

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