China and Vietnam held ceremonies Thursday morning in Dongxing in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Mong Cai in Vietnam for the unveiling of their first new boundary tablet.

The erection of the boundary tablet, another important step in solving the land boundary issue between the two countries, marks the formal implementation of the Land Boundary Treaty signed between the two sides two years ago and the inauguration of the establishment of new boundary tablets.

Wang Yi, vice-foreign minister and head of the Chinese government delegation for border negotiations, attended the ceremony in Dongxing and spoke highly of the positive development of Sino-Vietnamese relations over the past few years.

He said that China and Vietnam are connected by mountains and waters, and their borders should become a bridge for friendship and cooperation.

The treaty has legalized the common aspiration of the two peoples for harmonious co-existence and common development, and laid a firm foundation for security, prosperity and stability along border areas of the two countries, noted Wang.

The erection of the boundary tablet indicates that the two sides are, through their joint efforts, ready to turn their border into a link for peace, cooperation and development, added Wang.

Wang also said that the work of demarcation and setting up boundary tablets is expected to finish within three years.

The land boundary demarcation between China and Vietnam is an important step for the two countries that are in the process of settling the boundary issue, said the Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue Thursday afternoon.

She told a regular press conference those ceremonies for the unveiling of the first land boundary tablet was held Thursday morning in Dongxing of Guangxi in China and Mong Cai in Vietnam.

The move meant the start of implementation of the land boundary treaty between the two countries and of the surveying of boundary and establishment of boundary tablets, she noted.

The spokeswoman said that land boundary demarcation is of significance in safeguarding the peace and stability of the border regions between China and Vietnam, and helps promote personnel contact and trade cooperation and furthers the good-neighborly relations between the two countries.

(People's Daily December 28, 2001)