The Vietnam-China working group on the sea area beyond the mouth of the Gulf of Tonkin convened its eighth round of talks in Beijing, China, from September 25-27.
The Vietnamese delegation to the event was led by Nguyen Anh Dung, Vice Chairman of the National Border Committee under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while the Chinese delegation was headed by Zhou Jian, the representative for boundary and ocean affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Illustrative image (Source: VNA)

The two sides held an in-depth discussion on issues regarding the sea area beyond the mouth of the Gulf of Tonkin.
They pledged to seriously follow common perceptions agreed on by the two countries’ leaders, including the agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of sea-related issues, while at the same time promoting negotiations on demarcation and cooperation step by step for mutual development in the area.
They also candidly discussed properly controlling maritime disputes, exercising restraint, and taking no unilateral actions that could complicate the situation and expand the disputes.
The two sides agreed to soon organise the ninth round of talks. At the end of the meeting, they signed the minutes from the negotiations.