HANOI - Two Vietnamese naval ships left the central Da Nang city last Saturday to join the 15th joint patrol with Chinese naval forces, with the approval of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and the Ministry of Defense.

The HQ 011 and HQ 012 vessels, with more than 200 officers and sailors aboard, have joined Chinese naval ships in a joint training focusing on search and rescue, and exchanged their experience in this field, ?local Tuoi Tre newspaper reported on Monday. ? ?

The ships are scheduled to sail to Zhanjiang, a city in the Chinese southern province of Guangdong, for a visit. The Vietnamese crew will pay a courtesy visit to the High Command of the Nanhai Fleet and the city authorities during their visit.

They will also visit the joint-patrol ships of the fleet and take part in sports and cultural exchanges with the fleet's units.

The joint patrol aims to improve coordination in implementing the agreement on joint patrol with the Chinese navy, and strengthen the friendly relationship and the mutual understanding between the two armies and navies of Vietnam and China.

The patrol is also expected to create a friendly atmosphere and reduce risks of conflicts at sea, thereby contributing to securing order and security in the Gulf of Tonkin as well as Vietnam's waters.