US aircraft carrier arrives in Vietnam

A U.S. aircraft carrier arrived in the central Vietnamese city of Da Nang on Sunday, weeks after Hanoi protested the presence of Chinese ships in its waters.

USS Ronald Reagan’s visit to Da Nang came as the United States and Vietnam celebrated the 10th anniversary of the “Comprehensive Partnership”.

The US embassy in Hanoi said the carrier was part of the US 7th Fleet “supporting a free and open Indo-Pacific region” and arrived with two escort ships, the guided-missile cruiser Antietam and Robert Smalls. .

U.S. Navy officials disembarked in a short ceremony on Sunday afternoon and shook hands with Vietnamese military officials.

“More than 5,000 sailors from the USS Ronald Reagan are eager to visit Da Nang and experience Vietnamese culture,” said Captain Daryl Cardone, captain of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, in a statement.

Vietnam and the United States have increasingly close trade ties and also share concerns about China’s strength in the region.

A Chinese survey vessel, several coast guard vessels and a fishing vessel have been operating in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea for several weeks and have been ordered to leave by Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The boat finally set sail in early June.

China claims most of the resource-rich waterways, despite claims by other Southeast Asian nations such as Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia.

“This visit sends a message that Vietnam continues to maintain balance with China by improving its security ties with the United States and other outside forces,” said Dr. Nguyen The Huong. rice field. A maritime security candidate from the University of New South Wales Canberra told AFP.

bilateral relations

The U.S. carrier visit follows an Indian Navy vessel’s visit to Da Nang last month, followed by Japan’s largest warship calling in the southeastern coastal city of Cam Ranh earlier this week.

Vietnam’s foreign ministry spokesman Pham Thu Hanh said earlier this week that the visit was a “regular exchange of friendship for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.”

Huong said strong bilateral relations between the United States and Vietnam are key if the United States wants to remain the dominant power in the region.

“The United States hopes to have a reliable partner in Vietnam by deploying one of its most powerful naval assets,” he said.

US Secretary of State Anthony Brinken made a quick visit to Hanoi in April and announced his intention to strengthen diplomatic relations.

It will be the third U.S. carrier visit to Vietnam since the USS Carl Vinson’s historic visit in 2018, and the first such vessel to arrive in Vietnam since the war.

The visit includes several cultural and community events, including a US Navy band concert, an orphanage visit, and a sports game.

USS Ronald Reagan has been based in Japan since 2015.