The Chinese and Vietnamese naval ships are seen in the joint patrol in Beibu Gulf on June 22, 2022. (Photo by Zhang Bin)

BEIJING, June 23 -- According to the schedule of the 32nd China-Vietnam joint patrol in Beibu Gulf, the Chinese naval corvettes Bazhong (Hull No. 625) and Enshi (Hull No. 627) carried out joint patrol with two Vietnamese naval ships together in the waters of the Beibu Gulf on June 22. The two navies also held a joint search and rescue exercise in the Beibu Gulf.

At about 8 a.m., the warships for the joint patrol mission from both sides arrived at the assembly location and began to patrol in the double line abreast formation along the China-Vietnam maritime boundary in the Beibu Gulf. The two sides also took turns to undertake the command of the joint patrol to strengthen maritime cooperation capabilities.

The joint patrol, which lasted more than two hours, was followed by a joint search and rescue drill. Given the dense distribution of shipping routes in the Beibu Gulf with merchant ships and fishing vessels shuttling therein, the joint search and rescue drills are of great practical significance for dealing with maritime safety risks and emergencies. The joint drill, during which the ships from the two navies kept close communication and good coordination, not only promoted professional exchanges, but also deepened the mutual trust and cooperation between the two navies.

It has been the 32nd joint patrol since China and Vietnam signed the Agreement on Joint Patrols by the Navies of China and Vietnam in the Beibu Gulf in 2005 . On the basis of normalized joint patrols, the naval vessels from the two countries will also conduct drills on subjects of communication and fleet maneuver.