2009 China-Vietnam Border Friendship Gala

International dragon boat races at sea, youth exchanges, art performances and a symbolic friendship tree planting ceremony were among the many colourful activities held during the 2009 China-Vietnam Border Friendship Gala in June.

Officials and tens of thousands of ordinary citizens living on both sides of the border happily celebrated the growing good neighbourly ties that are strengthening the profound friendship between the two countries.

The gala consisted of a variety of significant activities such as the China-Vietnam Border Friendship Forum and the International Dragon Boat Festival on the Sea held in China, exchanges between the youth of the two countries, art and cultural performances and the planting of “friendship trees” in Vietnam as a symbol for future generations.

It was an opportunity for people at all levels on both sides of the border to make friends and put forward suggestions and express their best wishes for further deepening friendly cooperation in the border area.

The gala, co-sponsored by the China-ASEAN Association (CAA), the China-Vietnam Friendship Association (CVFA), the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO) and the Vietnam-China Friendship Association (VCFA), was a cross-border affair with activities in Fangchenggang City (Guangxi) on the Chinese side and Mong Cai, a district-level city of Quang Ninh Province just across the border in Vietnam, from June 5 to 8.

Li Zhaozhuo, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), and Huynh Dam, chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF), attended the opening ceremony; Sun Guoxiang, Chinese ambassador to Vietnam, and Nguyen Van Tho, Vietnamese ambassador to China, were also present upon invitation. A 100-member Chinese delegation led by Gu Xiulian, president of the CAA, and a 100-member Vietnamese delegation led by Vu Xuan Hong, president of the VUFO, also participated.

Watched by the representatives of the people living in the border area, Gu Xiulian and Vu Xuan Hong signed and jointly read out the “China-Vietnam Border Friendship Gala Declaration” at a closing ceremony held at the Beilun River Bridge on the border.

Meeting with Huynh Dam, Li Zhaozhuo said, the gala was of great significance in promoting the stability and development along the border as well as the overall cause of China-Vietnam friendship.

The year 2010 marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Vietnam and has been designated as China-Vietnam Friendship Year. Li said he hoped that the two sides would take this occasion as an opportunity to look into future, enhance friendship and expand cooperation from the perspective of the overall interests of the two sides and by carrying out various kinds of rich and colourful activities.

These should be designed to further promote all-round development of China-Vietnam friendly relations so as to let the people of the two countries forever be “good neighbours, good friends, good comrades and good partners.”

Huynh Dam responded by saying the VFF was willing to work together with other friendship organizations to vigorously promote friendship between Vietnam and China and play a positive role in enhancing mutual understanding.

CAA President Gu Xiulian said, she hoped the “gala” would help deepen mutual trust and cooperation between the people living in the border areas and make a contribution to the development of a China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation to promote common social and economic prosperity and benefit the people of the two countries.

At the China-Vietnam Border Friendship Forum, representatives of 15 cities (counties) and districts of Guangxi Autonomous Region and Yunnan Province, which both border on Vietnam, spoke on various topics. The representatives of the two countries treated each other open-heartedly and offered proposals and suggestions on jointly building a peaceful and stable China-Vietnam border featuring friendship, cooperation and development.

All the representatives held that along with the improvement of the general relationship between the two countries, the friendly relations in the border areas had developed rapidly. The adjoining prefectures and counties of the two countries have carried out exchanges and cooperation in culture and sports, and deepened friendly sentiments towards each other.

By carrying out important celebrations and other activities and inviting each other to participate in them, the towns and villages along the border of the two countries have deepened understanding and enhanced friendship.

Trade has also been booming, and Mong Cai has become known as the wealthiest city in Vietnam because of the passage of goods to and from China a trade that reached US$4.1bn in 2008, the largest amount of any of the border gateways.