On August 14, the National Institute for South China Sea Studies (NISCSS), in collaboration with the Huayang Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance (Huayang Center) and the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV), held a seminar in Hanoi titled "The 25th Anniversary of the Beibu Gulf Delimitation Agreement: Lessons Learned and Future Bilateral Maritime Cooperation." Wu Shicun, Chairman of the Huayang Center and Chairman of the Academic Committee of the NISCSS, and Nguyen Hung Son, President of DAV, delivered the opening keynote and closing remarks, respectively, and each chaired related panel discussions.
Participants included former Vietnam Vice Foreign Minister Dang Dinh Quy, former Head of the Vietnam National Border Committee (NBC) Tran Cong Truc, former Deputy Head of Vietnam NBC Hoang Minh Chinh, former Representative for Boundary and Maritime Affairs of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Huayang Center Distinguished Fellow Zhou Jian, former Director of the Data Division of the Chinese Navy's Marine Survey Institute Zhu Jianliang, Director of the Center for Maritime Strategy Studies at Peking University Hu Bo, and Director of the Institute for Oceans Law and Policy at the NISCSS Yan Yan, among others.
In his keynote speech, Wu Shicun emphasized that the Beibu Gulf Delimitation Agreement clearly established maritime boundaries between China and Vietnam in the Gulf, providing a legal basis for subsequent cooperation in fisheries management, resource development, and law enforcement. He emphasized that the agreement has contributed to deepening political trust and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries and serves as an instructive model for managing and resolving other disputes in the South China Sea. Wu Shicun underscored that the success of the delimitation talks shows that as long as both parties maintain mutual political trust, demonstrate sincerity, and allow room for compromise, maritime disputes can be transformed into opportunities for cooperation. He stressed the candid, problem-solving spirit of the talks as a valuable legacy in the history of China-Vietnam relations—worthy of remembrance, study, and continuation.
Nguyen Hung Son noted that China and Vietnam are connected by mountains and rivers and that their relationship, and is currently deepening at all fronts under the framework of the "six enhancements" policy. Particularly through the synergy between China's Belt and Road Initiative and Vietnam's "Two Corridors and One Economic Circle," bilateral cooperation is expanding in various fields. He called for the two sides to draw lessons from the Beibu Gulf negotiation experience, strengthen dialogue, and institutionalize Track 2 mechanisms to provide intellectual support for advancing maritime cooperation and managing differences in the South China Sea.
Participants agreed that over the past two decades, the Beibu Gulf delimitation and cooperation experience has provided useful lessons for managing maritime disputes and deepening practical cooperation. They recommended further collaboration in fields such as fisheries, environmental protection, joint law enforcement, marine search and rescue, and people-to-people and economic exchanges between Hainan Province and Quang Ninh Province.
During the event, a commemorative session titled "Reflecting on the Negotiation, Signing, and Implementation of the Beibu Gulf Delimitation Agreement" was also held. The session aimed to highlight the historical significance of the agreement, resonate with the 75th anniversary of China-Vietnam diplomatic ties and the "China-Vietnam Year of People-to-People Exchanges" initiative, and explore innovative proposals for future maritime cooperation.
Attendees came from institutions including the NISCSS, Huayang Center, Peking University, the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam, the DAV, Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the NBC, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the Ministry of Science and Technology. Some participants had been directly involved in the original negotiation of the agreement. The current Track 2 Dialogue on China–Vietnam maritime issues featured in-depth discussions and exchanges on topics such as "Lessons Learned from the China–Vietnam Beibu Gulf Delimitation Negotiations" and "Exploring Prospects for China–Vietnam Maritime Cooperation Based on the Outcomes of the Delimitation Talks."
This was the second round of Track 2 dialogue between two leading academic institutions from China and Vietnam, following the inaugural session held in Haikou in September 2024 on "Lessons and Insights from the Beibu Gulf Delimitation."
While in Vietnam, the Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam, He Wei, met with Wu Shicun and his delegation.
