Source: ForumIas

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Context

Vietnam's new Gulf of Tonkin baseline map prompts Chinese military exercises, intensifying maritime sovereignty disputes

About Gulf of Tonkin

• It is a shallow, crescent-shaped semi-enclosed water body situated off South China and Northern Vietnam coasts in the South China Sea’s northwestern portion.
• It is located in the northwest part of the South China Sea.
• It is known as
• Beibu Gulf in Chinese
• Bac Bo Gulf in Vietnamese.

                     The gulf is bordered by the

• west and northwest - northern coast of Vietnam to the
• north - China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
• east - Leizhou Peninsula and Hainan Island
• It is connected with the South China Sea via the gulf’s mouth in the south and the Hainan Strait (Qiongzhou Strait) in the northeast
• The Gulf of Tonkin receives water from multiple rivers
• primarily the Red River
• Note - Red river is referred to as the Yuan River in China
  • • along with several smaller rivers along the northern and western coastal areas.
    • In Northern Vietnam, the primary ports along the gulf are
      • Haiphong
      • Ben Thuy.
    • In China, the major port is Beihai or Pakhoi.
    • The Gulf of Tonkin incident that took place in 1964 increased U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.
      • In Northern Vietnam, the gulf’s main ports include
      • Haiphong and Ben Thuy
      • In China, its major port is Beihai (Pakhoi).

Sources:

DD NEWS