Gulf of Tonkin

March 10, 2024

China has officially disclosed a new baseline outlining its territorial claims in the northern part of the Gulf of Tonkin, an area shared with Vietnam.

About Gulf of Tonkin:

It is a crescent-shaped, shallow, semi-enclosed water body situated in the South China Sea’s northwestern portion.
Borders: The gulf 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 referred to as “Beibu Gulf” in Chinese and “Bac Bo Gulf” in Vietnamese.
Many rivers empty into the Gulf of Tonkin, with the Red River (Yuan Riverin Chinese) supplying the major riverine discharge along with some smaller rivers.
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.
Major Ports: In Northern Vietnam, the gulf’s main ports include Haiphong and Ben Thuy, whereas, in China, its major port is Beihai (Pakhoi).
The Gulf of Tonkin is best known for the infamous “Gulf of Tonkin Incident”.
- It was a complex naval event in the Gulf of Tonkin, off the coast of Vietnam, that occurred from August 2 to August 4, 1964, during the Vietnam War.
- The report of North Vietnamese torpedo boats firing on two U.S. destroyers in 1964 resulted in the U.S. Congress adopting the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution to support increased U.S. troop involvement in the Vietnam War.