• Summary

This legal document contains the Agreement between the People’s Republic of China and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam on the Delimitation of the Territorial Seas, Exclusive Economic Zones and Continental Shelves of the two countries in the Gulf on Tonkin (Beibu Gulf in Chinese/Bac Bo Gulf in Vietnamese), signed in 2000. The Agreement clarifies that the Gulf of Tonkin is “a semi-enclosed gulf Agreement between the People’s Republic of China and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam on the Delimitation of the Territorial Seas, Exclusive Economic Zones and Continental Shelves of the two Countries in Beibu Gulf/Bac Bo Gulf (adopted from UN Treaty Series)”, which shall be delimited by a straight line connecting 21 points provided in the agreement. The images for the delimitation map can be found on pages 8-9 of the Vietnamese version of the Agreement.

Point 1 starts from the Beilun estuary, and point 1 to 9 generate a delimitation line as the boundary of the territorial sea of the two countries in the Gulf of Tonkin. Notably, the delimitation line from point 1 to 7 shall not be changed regardless of any topological changes unless agreed by both parties. Points 9 to 21 generate a delimitation line as the boundary of the EEZ and continental shelves of the two countries in the Gulf of Tonkin. This Agreement does not affect the dispute of both countries in the Paracels Islands and the Spratly Islands as they do not locate in the Gulf of Tonkin recognized in the Agreement.

• Document: Agreement between the People’s Republic of China and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam on the Delimitation of the Territorial Seas, Exclusive Economic Zones and Continental Shelves of the two Countries in Beibu Gulf/Bac Bo Gulf (adopted from UN Treaty Series)