Coast guard commander

The move, in an effort to control COVID-19, implemented the latest directive of the Ministry of National Defense.

Specifically, coast guard ships 2001, 2011, 3001, and 3008 with nearly 100-strong crew and cutting-edge monitoring and surveillance equipment, in coordination with the coast guard force from the Coast Guard Commands of Bac Lieu, Ca Mau and Kien Giang provinces, will conduct patrols to safeguard national maritime sovereignty, ensure order and security at sea, as well as prevent illegal immigration from sea routes.

These activities will effectively contribute to the national COVID-19 prevention efforts.

Translated by Mai Huong

Participating in the joint patrol were two Vietnamese coast guard ships, numbered 8004 and 8003, commanded by Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of Coast Guard Region 1 Senior Colonel Tran Van Tho. The Chinese ships, numbered 4301 and 4203, were led by Liu Tianrong, Deputy Head of the Nanhai Division of the Chinese Coast Guard.

During the three-day event, the two sides patrolled 13 locations in the waters adjacent to the Gulf of the Tonkin delimitation line. They exchanged information via phone calls, checked trawlers fishing in the area, and popularized information related to fishing regulations, COVID-19 prevention and control, and the upcoming election of deputies to the 15th legislature and all-level people’s councils for the 2021-2026 term.

During a phone talk with the Chinese coast guard force’s representative, Vietnamese head delegate Tran Van Tho emphasized that the first joint patrol ended successfully, completing all set contents. Tho expressed a strong belief that the activity will contribute to creating the momentum to strengthen the relationship between the two Parties, States, and peoples in general and two coast guard forces in particular.

At the patrol, the participating ships moved in a line formation along the two sides of the delimitation line and conducted a saluting ceremony to end the session.

Translated by Tran Hoai

The Border Guard has taken the lead in 51 investigation projects and illegal entries and exits, receiving 15,000 people entering Vietnam through border gates and handing them over to local authorities for handling and isolation.

Ships of Vietnam Coast Guard and China Coast Guard patrolling at sea (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The patrol forces of the Vietnam Coast Guard and the China Coast Guard on April 28 finished their first joint patrol on the waters adjacent to the demarcation line in the Tonkin Gulf between the two countries in 2021.

In a phone call with a representative from the patrol force of the China Coast Guard , Colonel Tran Van Tho, deputy commander, chief of staff of the High Command of the Coast Guard Region 1, and head of the Vietnamese patrol force, stressed that both sides had coordinated closely and well performed the approved plan.

The joint patrol has contributed to promoting the fine relationship between the two Parties, States and peoples in general and between the two coast guard forces in particular.

The two sides patrolled through 13 points in the demarcation line in the Tonkin Gulf. They conducted phone discussions, and checked and monitored one fishing vessel of China and three of Vietnam, and stepped up disseminations on regulations related to fishing and COVID-19 prevention and control./.

The vessel is transferred to Vietnam under the US Excess Defense Articles (EDA) program that offers excess military equipment to US partner and allied countries.

A former US Coast Guard ship is on its way to Vietnam, making it the 2nd vessel of the Hamilton-class cutter given to the Vietnam Coast Guard by the US government.

Vietnam and US officers in Honolulu on June 8. Photos: US Embassy in Hanoi

CSB 8021 (formerly John Midgett) left its former homeport of Seattle, Washington, on June 1, 2021, after completion of outfitting and crew training, according to the US Embassy in Hanoi.

It was officially transferred in August 2020 and the US Coast Guard has offered maintenance since November 2020 to make the ship ready to serve in the Vietnam Coast Guard.

The vessel and transfer support worth US$27 million in grant security assistance for CSB8021 and US$24 million for CSB 8020 in 2017 were sourced from the US foreign military financing.

The two vessels were transferred to Vietnam under the US Excess Defense Articles (EDA) program. The EDA offers excess military equipment to US partners and allied countries in support of military and security modernization efforts.

The Hamilton-class cutter was the largest class of vessel in the United States Coast Guard until replaced by the Legend-class cutter, aside from the Polar-class icebreaker.

The US Embassy, through its Office of Defense Cooperation, coordinates US-Vietnam security cooperation activities on behalf of the US Indo-Pacific Command to advance mutually beneficial defense goals and interests. Since 2011, the US has provided more than US$450 million in support of defense and security programs in Vietnam.

CSB 8021 (formerly John Midgett). Photo: An Ninh Thu Do

According to the US Department of State, the US and Vietnam are committed to strengthening defense cooperation between the two countries as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding on Advancing Bilateral Defense Cooperation in 2011 and the US-Vietnam Joint Vision Statement on Defense Relations signed in 2015, giving priority to humanitarian cooperation, war legacy issues, maritime security, peacekeeping, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

In May 2016, the United States fully lifted its ban on the sale of lethal weapons to Vietnam and continued to provide Vietnam with maritime security assistance, including through the Maritime Security Initiative, the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, and Foreign Military Financing. The United States transferred Hamilton-class Coast Guard cutters to Vietnam in 2017 and 2020 to help improve Vietnam’s maritime law enforcement capabilities.

Vietnam has become increasingly important in US foreign policy as indicated in the 2017 U.S. National Security Strategy, the 2018 US National Defense Strategy, and the 2019 Indo-Pacific Report.

The US-Vietnam defense ties have also strengthened dramatically since 2014. In 2016, Obama lifted the ban on lethal weapons sales to Vietnam during his visit to Hanoi. Since then, the US has helped Vietnam improve its maritime capability, including the transfer of a Hamilton-class cutter in 2017 and the delivery of 18 “Metal Shark” patrol boats in the following years.

Notably, the US Navy sent the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson to Vietnam’s Danang port in March 2018, the first after the end of the Vietnam War, and the USS Theodore Roosevelt in March 2020.

The conference drew the participation of Director of the General Department of Politics General Luong Cuong, and deputy defense ministers Senior Lieutenant Generals Nguyen Tan Cuong, Hoang Xuan Chien, Le Huy Vinh, Vo Minh Luong and Vice Admiral Pham Hoai Nam.

In May 2021, the MND has directed the whole military to comprehensively fulfill their assigned missions with good results. In addition, all military units have well maintained combat readiness while strictly grasping situations to be ready in any circumstances and ensuring safety for the elections of deputies to the 15th National Assembly and the all-level People’s Councils for the 2021-2026 term.

Moreover, the MND has also ordered the Vietnam Border Guard and Coast Guard Commands to promote control and combat drug trafficking, smuggling, commercial frauds, trafficking of counterfeit goods, and illegal entry and exit while instructing its affiliated units to join the elections.

Meanwhile, international integration and defense diplomacy activities were carried out in a flexible, effective, and timely manner. Together with COVID-19 vaccination for troops, the whole military also actively deployed forces to help local people effectively prevent and control the pandemic.

Concluding the conference, General Giang praised the troops’ efforts in overcoming obstacles to well fulfill all assigned missions. He also rolled out missions and solutions to implement and complete assigned tasks in June 2021.

* On the same day, the MND’s leaders met with the General Department of Logistics to discuss COVID-19 prevention and control. During the meeting, leaders of the general department briefed General Giang on the developments of the pandemic nationwide as well as pandemic prevention and control of military units in pandemic-hit provinces.

On this occasion, General Giang applauded troops in the whole military for their great efforts in the fight against COVID-19 over the past time. He also requested them to curb the spread of the pandemic into barracks while ensuring their health when implementing tasks in the disease prevention and control. The minister also asked military press agencies to disseminate information, promoting their role in equipping troops and people with COVID-19 prevention and control knowledge.

Meanwhile, General Giang also urged troops in the whole military to strictly observe the Health Ministry’s “5K” regulations, Khau trang (face mask), Khu khuan (disinfection), Khoang cach (distancing), Khong tu tap (no large gathering), and Khai bao y te (health declaration), promote training to raise competence in the fight against the pandemic.

Relevant units, especially border guards, should reasonably deploy forces at COVID-19 checkpoints so as to manage illegal border crossings, joining the whole nation to soon control the pandemic, General Giang concluded.

Translated by Khanh Ngan