On March 14, 1988, engineering soldiers of the Vietnam People’s Navy stood resolutely on Gac Ma with a unwavering commitment to protecting the national flag amid the vast sea. They faced death head-on, yet refused to retreat or surrender, creating an immortal circle of pride in the East Sea. The 64 soldiers, including nine from Da Nang and one from Quang Nam, laid down their lives.
Vietnam's seas and islands are facing a series of problems relating to degradation in landscape, marine and coastal ecosystems; coastal environmental pollution; and increasing negative impacts from natural disasters, climate change, and sea level rise. Therefore, a national marine spatial planning is needed to create orientations for sustainable exploitation and use of marine and island resources, and harmonise socio-economic development with national defence and security.
The Naval Region 2 High Command has sent a delegation to visit officers and soldiers on duty on DK1 platforms on the occasion of the upcoming Lunar New Year, or Tet, holiday.
With the nature of their profession, journalists have set foot in various regions, but for many, the journey to Truong Sa (Spratly) is a great source of pride and a lifetime experience.
A club named “Love Vietnam’s seas and islands” was launched on March 19 in Paris following the movement “All for Vietnam’s seas and islands” that is spreading across Europe.
An exchange was held on July 31 for officers, soldiers of Naval Region 4 High Command and 126 overseas Vietnamese (OV) students and youngsters joining the Vietnam Summer Camp 2022.
Locals in the northern province of Bac Giang have got an in-depth insight into the national sovereignty over seas and islands as well as the tradition of ethnic minority groups across Vietnam through photos and documents featuring Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes and ethnic groups of Vietnam.
To safeguard Vietnam’s national sovereignty at sea, soldiers at the Con Dao border guard station off the coast of the southeastern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau have worked with local authorities and residents in socio-economic development and consolidating the all-people defence posture in the country’s southeastern seas.
The State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a seminar to foster the pride and responsibility of OVs in the protection of the country’s sovereignty over its seas and islands on November 20.
On October 22, 2018, the Party Central Committee in the 12th tenure issued Resolution No 36-NQ/TW on the strategy for the sustainable development of Vietnam’s marine economy to 2030 and vision to 2045, in which the overall goal by 2030 is to turn the country into a strong maritime nation.
The marine economy has become key to Vietnam's economic structure and exploitation of the country's seas and islands has created a new driving force for development amid deep international integration, experts have said.
A training course on legal regulations on seas and islands was held in the north central coastal province of Thanh Hoa on May 3, seeking to raise local fishermen’s awareness of abiding by the sea-related law and protecting sea resources.
Overseas Vietnamese in Laos held a Vu Lan festival in the central province of Savannakhet on September 2 to express their deep gratitude towards parents.
