China's legislature approves Beibu Gulf demarcation agreement between China, Vietnam

The 10th Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), or China's legislature, on Friday approved the Beibu Gulf demarcation agreement between China and Vietnam.

Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi, entrusted by the State Council, Wednesday made an explanation on the demarcation agreement to the 10th meeting of the 10th NPC Standing Committee which was held from June 21 to 25.

According to his explanation, Chinese negotiation delegation and its Vietnamese counterpart held two rounds of negotiations on endorsement of the Beibu Gulf demarcation agreement in Hanoi and Beijing in November and December 2000. And the two sides reached official agreement on all items within the demarcation accord.

On Dec. 25, 2000, Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan and Vietnamese Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien inked the Beibu Gulf demarcation accord.

The State Council held that the demarcation accord endorsement would be beneficial to the long stability at borders between Chinaand Vietnam as well as the Beibu Gulf. And it will further push the healthy development of the two countries' bilateral relationship, promote mutual trust between China and its neighboring countries and accord with China's fundamental interests.

With total area of more than 128,000 square km, the Beibu Gulf is an half-closed bay surrounded by Chinese and Vietnamese territories and a traditional fishery place for the two countries.

There was no water border between the two countries amid the Beibu Gulf until in 1974 when the two countries held first negotiation on the gulf demarcation. And since 1999, their negotiations were speed up after the normalization of the two countries' bilateral relationship.

The demarcation accord has preface, postscript and 11 items. The first item defines the demarcation legal basis. The second to the fifth items define the borders at territorial water, exclusiveeconomic zone and continental shelf in Beibu Gulf between the two countries.

The demarcation accord also regulates the cooperation principles on prospecting of petroleum, natural gas and other mineral resources as well as principles on biological resources protection, management and development.

Source: Xinhua