In addition to successfully fulfilling the task of defending national border sovereignty and security, the Border Guard of Lao Cai province has taken many breakthrough measures to perform the work of border defence diplomacy and become a typical example in this important work.

Border defence diplomacy constitutes an important part of the defence diplomacy and one of the fundamental tasks of the Border Guard Force. Border defence diplomacy directly creates favourable conditions for managing and safeguarding national border sovereignty and security, building borders of peace, friendship, cooperation and development, contributing to protecting the Homeland from afar. Comprehending that, the Command of the Border Guard of Lao Cai province has proactively conducted diplomatic missions via creative, effective, proper forms and measures, which has been highly appreciated by the Border Guard High Command and local party committees and authorities. Various diplomatic models and activities organized by the Provincial Border Guard (PGB) have been multiplied across the border between Vietnam and China and brought about positive effects.

Sr. Col. Do Ngoc Tuan and commander of the Border Guard of Mengzi city signed the document of the dialogue held in July 2018

Fully aware of the guidelines on defence diplomacy and the diplomatic policy by the Party and the State as well as guiding documents and directives by higher authorities, the PGB has quickly established and well maintained the order for relationship and cooperation on management and protection of border line, border markers and border gate zones with the border guard of Yunnan province (China). At the same time, it has taken the lead in setting up the mechanism for joint patrols (post and battalion levels) to protect the border between Vietnam and China; twinned its border posts with border control stations, border police companies, border defence battalions of Yunnan province; counselled local party committees and authorities to organize twinning activities among the people from the two sides of the border. Border defence diplomacy activities have contributed to strengthening solidarity and friendship between authorities, peoples and border defence forces of the two sides, laying a solid foundation for the PBG to fulfil the assigned tasks, particularly to opportunely settle complex, sensitive issues and accelerate the work of planting border makers in the province’s area.

In recent years, to meet the demanding requirements of national border management and protection in the new situation, the PGB has stepped up the work of border defence diplomacy on a practical, effective, in-depth basis with breakthroughs and new developments. The PGB Party Committee and Command have concentrated their leadership and direction on border defence diplomacy work and regarded it as an important, routine political task. Simultaneously, they have directed offices, posts, and stations to proactively develop plans and programs for diplomatic activities in accord with their function and task as well as the particularities of border areas and border gates. Importance has been attached to renewing and diversifying contents, methods, and forms of diplomacy; to expanding the scale and raising the level of diplomatic ties at both provincial and border post levels; to closely combining border defence diplomacy with people-to-people exchange and specialist measures for border defence in border areas.

Delivering leaflets of legal propagation to tourists in the area of the International Border Gate of Lao Cai

Promoting the obtained results and experience, the PGB has cooperated with the Border Police Force of Yunnan province, the Border Police Company of Honghe prefecture, the Border Guard of Mengzi city, and the Chinese Border Representative for Section 3 while proposing the establishment of mechanism for cooperation at all levels. It has maintained the order for meetings, dialogues and exchange of information related to management and protection of border line and gates, security and safety in border areas as well as cross-border crime prevention and control while organizing joint patrols to realize the signed agreements and mechanisms for cooperation. Grounded on the situation in the border areas and border gates, the PGB has proposed the establishment of the mechanism for joint patrols for law enforcement in the whole border line between the PGB and the Border Police Company of Honghe prefecture. At the same time, it has raised the level of joint patrols not only in border sections conducted by units of the two sides but also in the whole border line directly commanded by the PGB Command and the Border Guard of Mengzi city. These are the first activities organized in the border between Vietnam and China, which are also a new development of the border defence diplomacy work, especially in the area of Lao Cai province. In 2017 and the first half of 2018, the PGB collaborated with the Border Police Company of Honghe prefecture in organizing 21 provincial-level joint patrols with the participation of over 2,500 cadres and troops in both land and river. During the joint patrols, the PGB and Chinese forces held nearly 600 meetings to exchange information on the border situation; delivered more than 22,200 leaflets to over 8,750 residents in the border areas; detected and opportunely prevented residents of the two sides from smuggling goods and illegally crossing the border.

To ceaselessly bring into play the effectiveness of models of “Post-Station, company, and battalion of friendship join hand in building and protecting peaceful border and border gates” and help units of the two sides strengthen relationship and mutual understanding and improve the quality of coordination, in 2017, the PGB signed the agreement on twinning 8 border posts of the PGB with 4 border control stations and 7 posts of the Border Police Company of Honghe prefecture, Yunnan province. This is the largest-scale twining activity ever in the land border between Vietnam and China. This is also the first time the border management forces of the two sides have succeeded in building a mechanism for cooperation between Vietnamese border posts and Chinese border police posts, marking a turning point in the work of border defence diplomacy, creating a new development in coordination to prevent and combat cross-border crime and maintain security and order in the border areas. Grounded on those results, in the 21^st Dialogue between the PBG and the Border Guard of Mengzi city in November 2017, the two sides agreed to expand the model of “Post-Battalion of friendship, peaceful border” between equivalent units of the two sides, thereby deepening the mechanism for border defence cooperation between the two countries. 

Presenting the title “Friendship Ambassador of Vietnam and China”

To make the work of border defence diplomacy increasingly more effective, the PBG has actively organized meetings in the border, maintained the order for information exchange, and held joint exercises and exchanges on political work at all levels. The PBG is the first unit to establish the mechanism for liaison officer and hot line between its units and Chinese equivalents. Most notably, the PGB and the Border Police Company of Honghe prefecture have set up the mechanism for exchanging information and informing the situation at provincial level. Significance has been attached to exchanges on political work with numerous, creative approaches, such as professional knowledge, cultural, artistic, sports exchanges, collaboration on propagation and dissemination of border laws, exhibitions of photos, and film shows on cooperation and friendship between the two sides, as well as congratulatory message sending on the special occasions of each country. It should be noted that the PBG has initiated the voting of “Friendship Ambassador of Vietnam and China” on a quarterly basis to honour cadres and troops having outstanding achievements in the building of “Post-Station of friendship, border gate of harmony”, and create widespread positive effects on border defence diplomacy. Accordingly, recently, the PBG has been assigned to host the Dialogue on the work of legal propagation between the Border Guard of Lao Cai, Dien Bien, Ha Giang, and Lai Chau provinces and the Border Police Force of Yunnan province which has left representatives with good impressions. To diversify diplomatic activities, in the time to come, the PBG will step up exchanges on political work and cooperate with Chinese border defence forces in organizing Vietnamese and Chinese courses and traditional dance courses for cadres and troops of the two sides.

Alongside the activities mentioned above, the PBG has actively taken practical, effective measures to closely combine border defence diplomacy with people-to-people exchange. Offices and units of the PBG have promoted the work of propagation and mass mobilization, particularly in the border gates and key border areas while stepping up meetings with village patriarchs and heads of clans in a bid to take advantage of the ties of kinship among people from the two sides of the border to render them full aware of the issues on nation, national border and legal documents on border between the two countries. Besides, the PGB has proactively advised the province and border localities on encouraging state external affairs and people-to-people exchanges with Chinese authorities at all levels and Chinese locals along the border. Thus, Lao Cai has really taken the lead in successfully organizing meetings, exchanges and dialogues, particularly the building of the model of twinning groups of residents from the two sides of the border.

With great insight, sound guidelines, proper measures for leadership and direction, and creative approaches, the Border Guard of Lao Cai province has been a really exemplary unit in the work of border defence diplomacy, contributing to deepening the friendship, mutual understanding, and cooperation between the PBG and Chinese forces in charge of border protection. At the same time, it has contributed to strengthening the bond among the people from the two sides of the border and making the all-people border defence, the all-people border defence posture, and the border areas increasingly strong. This is the basis for the PBG to successfully fulfil the tasks of managing and defending national border sovereignty and security and building a border of peace, friendship, stability, and cooperation for mutual development under the Party’s guidelines on protecting the Homeland from afar.

Sr. Col. Do Ngoc Tuan, Commander of the PBG