According to the website of the Ministry of National Defense, on June 22, the Bazhong and Enshi ships of the Chinese navy formed a formation with Vietnamese naval vessels to conduct joint patrols in the waters of the Beibu Gulf, and organized a joint search and rescue exercise.

During the joint patrol, the ship formations of the two sides strengthened information sharing, and notified each other of information elements such as hydrometeorology, sea and air conditions in the patrolled sea area, and the navigation speed of the formation. In order to improve the joint patrol organization and command procedures and strengthen maritime cooperation capabilities, the two sides also took turns to command.

After more than two hours of joint patrol, China and Vietnam organized a joint search and rescue exercise.

After the drill began, the joint patrol ships of the two sides dropped dummies at their respective throwing points to simulate the crew members of the fishing boats in distress falling into the water, and then communicated the locations, situations of the ships in distress and the weather conditions. After obtaining relevant information, the joint patrol ship formations of the two sides went forward at high speed respectively to the target area to carry out search and rescue. During the period, the officers and soldiers on the ships continued to strengthen their observation of the sea. After finding the target, they immediately launched the rescue and notified the other party of the search and rescue results.

Li Wuyi, commander of the Chinese joint patrol formation, said that the sea routes in the Beibu Gulf are densely located, and that there used to be many merchant ships and fishing vessels passing by. The joint search and rescue exercise is of great practical significance for dealing with maritime security risks and emergencies. During this drill, the ships of the two sides communicated closely and cooperated tacitly, which not only promoted professional exchanges, but also deepened the mutual trust and cooperation between the two navies.

It is understood that this joint patrol is the 32nd joint patrol carried out since the Agreement on Joint Patrols by the Navies of China and Vietnam in the Beibu Gulf was signed in 2005. In the early stage, the two sides actively strengthened communication and organized the alignment of joint patrol plans, laying a solid foundation for the smooth implementation of maritime missions. On the basis of normalized joint patrols, the naval vessels of the two countries will also conduct drills on subjects such as communication exercises and formation movements.