Hanoi, April 16 -- The ninth Vietnam - China Border Defence Friendship Exchange officially kicked off on April 16.

Vietnamese Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang and Chinese Minister of National Defence Senior Lieutenant General Dong Jun are co-chairing the event.

The programme began in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China on April 16 and will continue in Lang Son province of Vietnam the following day.

Key activities on April 16 in China include an official welcome ceremony for the Vietnamese delegation, a visit to the Youyi Guan tourism area, a tour of the Youyi Guan border guard company, and a tree-planting ceremony. The two defence ministers will witness online the 38th joint naval patrol in the Gulf of Tonk...