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CHINA> Photo
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China, Vietnam settle land border issue
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-02-24 14:45 "It sends an important signal to the whole world that relations are developing soundly. The two sides should continue to cooperate closely to implement the border pact," he added. During the 45-minute ceremony, Pham and Dai jointly unveiled the No. 1116 and No. 1117 boundary markers. The two monuments are about 1.6 meters tall with a national emblem on the front.
Youyiguan, or the Friendship Gate, is one of China's key border passes. It is more than 2,000 years old and has witnessed a number of historic wars, including the fight against French invaders in 1885 after they stormed Vietnam. China and Vietnam signed a border treaty in 1999. In 2001, experts and specialists from both sides started marking 1,347 kilometers of border land. China and Vietnam finished demarcation at the end of last year. In total, 1,971 monuments were set with the help of advanced demarcation equipment and GPS technology. "We need to make some minor adjustments to the original map because of geological conditions," said Huang Liuran, who worked for three years with the No.10 demarcation team for the Pingxiang border section. "Sometimes we ate together and celebrated each other's festivals. We sent them gifts or bought them Chinese medicines when they got sick," said Huang, 31, who learned the Vietnamese language at a university in Guangxi. He regarded the mission as a rare opportunity and great honor, despite the harsh working conditions in the humid mountains. "Sometimes we had to drink unsanitary water and we always suffered from allergic reactions and mosquito bites in the forests." Demarcation teams also encountered landmines left over from wars, but the mine-sweeping staff were able to unearth them and no one was injured in his team. Huang, also a captain of Pingxiang's border brigade, noted that there had been frequent reports of disputes over land use between residents on both sides due to the undefined boundary. As more border stones were established in recent years, the number of such incidents dropped drastically. "An explicit border is a premise of stable life for border residents and will help us to better regulate the area," Huang said. To Yan Tingwan, a native of Pingxiang who lives just 200 meters away from the No. 1055 boundary stone, the demarcation project could lead to a better life. Yan, 51, a father of three in the Yingyang Village, said his family income was about 10,000 yuan (1,470 U.S. dollars) a year. Yan and his wife opened a 50-square-meter grocery shop nine years ago, but profits were unsatisfying. The couple also offered passenger and cargo transportation across the border. "A border trade zone is expected to be opened in the village next month. Maybe it could bring more people here and boost my business," said Yan. |
