VietNamNet Bridge – It was 7pm on the last day of 2008 when Vietnamese and Chinese negotiators announced the completion of the demarcation and marker planting for the Vietnamese-Chinese border, the official end of a marathon negotiation process spanning nearly 20 years. In fact, two issues remained unresolved.

Vietnam, China complete border demarcation, marker planting

Vietnam, China mark completion of border demarcation

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Particularly in the last eight years, the two countries held 13 official high level negotiations, many meetings between the two chief negotiators, and 31 rounds of negotiations between the Chairmen of the Joint Committee for Demarcation and Marker Planting. As the negotiations approached their end, the more difficult they became.

In 2008 alone, the two sides conducted 11 rounds of working level negotiations. The shortest round lasted nine days and the longest was 23 days. The longest meeting lasted more than 30 consecutive hours.

Could the negotiation finish?

Not only negotiators but also retired senior diplomats kept close watch as the negotiations climaxed in late December, 2008. A Hanoi-Beijing telephone ‘hot line’ was always open to update the information from the negotiation.

The two sides planned to finish the talks and release a joint declaration at 5pm, December 31, 2008. Vietnamese and foreign journalists assembled to report the great event. However, the negotiation was still in progress.