While They May Have Their Differences at Sea, on Land, Vietnamese and Chinese Border Guards Get Along Great

Chinese and Vietnamese soldiers at the Lũng Cú border station in the northern Vietnamese province of Hà Giang on March 21, 2025. Image via the Vietnam News Agency.

Chinese and Vietnamese border soldiers conducted joint patrols last week along their shared land border near the northern Vietnamese province of Hà Giang.

Officers from both armies also met to discuss increased cooperation to prevent illegal crossings, smuggling, and other issues. What’s notable here is the evident camaraderie between the two militaries when it comes to dealing with land border issues that stand in sharp contrast to the increasingly tense relations between the Asian neighbors over maritime boundary disputes.

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by Eric Olander

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