China and Vietnam on Saturday signed a joint statement in which they reaffirmed to complete the demarcation of their land border within this year.

The two countries will coordinate more closely to solve the remaining problems, so as to ensure they complete demarcation and erecting land markers along the whole borderline by year end, the joint statement said.

The two agreed to sign a demarcation protocol and a new agreement on border management as soon as possible, said the joint statement.

China and Vietnam set the deadline of completing land border demarcation by the end of 2008 in 1999.

The two countries signed a treaty in December 1999 delineating their 1,350 kilometers of frontier. They officially started to plant land markers in 2002.

On sea areas, China and Vietnam agreed to start a joint survey in the waters outside the mouth of Beibu Bay in an early date, the joint statement said.

It said the two countries will gradually advance the negotiations on demarcation of these maritime zones and will jointly exploit the zones.

The two countries also agreed to fully implement the agreements on the demarcation of Beibu Bay and the fishery cooperation on the bay, and promote the cooperation on the survey and exploitation on the Beibu Bay cross-border oil and gas structure.

(Xinhua News Agency October 25, 2008)