Officials from China and Vietnam have reviewed the implementation of their border rules, which they say have helped improve connectivity and trade in border areas. The two sides met on Tuesday in Nanning, the capital city of South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and said the rules had been implemented effectively.

China and Vietnam signed three legal documents in 2009, setting the rules for land border demarcation and management. Officials say they hope the peaceful negotiations of land border issues can set a precedent for the resolution of maritime issues. 

China’s Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin and his Vietnamese counterpart Le Hoai Trung said the 1,400 kilometers-long border separating the two countries has become a line of friendship.

Figures show that over 23,000 Chinese and Vietnamese border residents now pass through border gates every day more than twice as many as in 2010. And daily border trade stands at nearly US$70 million three times higher than 6 years ago. Liu said such achievements could not be reached without concerted efforts.

"Both countries are working on enhancing border cooperation. Now we are preparing to establish three cross-border economic zones, and we’ll definitely seek more cooperation in the future," said Liu.

The Vietnamese minister said his country appreciates China’s efforts, and pledged to learn from the experience to deal with unsettled issues.

"Vietnam’s priority has always been to develop a relationship with China. The three documents in relation to the land border brought stability to the area and real benefits to both peoples. We’ll conduct more negotiations with China to resolve maritime disputes in a friendly and frank manner," said Le Hoai Trung.

Both officials said that despite such disputes, China and Vietnam are still good neighbors, and they will continue to enrich bilateral cooperation.

During the conference, both sides also held discussions on border management, facilitation of customs clearance, as well as cross border economic and tourism cooperation. Representatives from both countries also stressed that peaceful negotiation is the only effective way to resolve maritime disputes between China and Vietnam.