Gulf of Tonkin:
Vietnam’s foreign ministry published a map defining its baseline claim in the Gulf of Tonkin.
- Gulf of Tonkin is referred as “Beibu Gulf”in Chinese and “Bac Bo Gulf” in Vietnamese.
- It is a crescent-shaped, shallow, semi-enclosed water body situated off South China and Northern Vietnam coasts in the South China Sea’s northwestern portion.
- It is bordered by the northern coastline of Vietnam in the west and northwest; by China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in the north; and by the Leizhou Peninsula and Hainan Island in the east.
- It is connected with the South China Sea via the gulf’s mouth in the south and the Hainan Strait in the northeast.
- Many rivers empty into the Gulf of Tonkin, with the Red River supplying the major riverine discharge along with some smaller rivers along the northern and western coastal areas.
- In Northern Vietnam, the gulf’s main ports include Haiphong and Ben Thuy, whereas, in China, its major port is Beihai (Pakhoi).
