HANOI: An American aircraft carrier, the USS Ronald Reagan, made its arrival in the central Vietnamese city of Danang on Sunday, as observed by AFP journalists. This visit comes weeks after Vietnam raised objections against Chinese vessels operating in its waters. The port call coincides with the 10th anniversary of the “comprehensive partnership” between the United States and Vietnam, which has fostered increasingly close trade links and shared concerns about China’s growing influence in the region.
Earlier this month, a Chinese survey vessel, along with multiple coast guard ships and fishing boats, remained in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea for several weeks. Vietnam’s foreign ministry demanded their departure, and eventually, the vessels left in early June. China asserts its claims over most of the resource-rich waterway, despite competing claims from neighboring Southeast Asian nations such as Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia.
“The visit sends a message that Vietnam continues to balance against China by enhancing its security relationship with the US and other external powers,” explained Nguyen The Phuong, a PhD candidate in maritime security at the University of New South Wales Canberra, in an interview with AFP.
The arrival of the US aircraft carrier follows the recent presence of Indian naval ships in Danang and a port call by Japan’s largest warship in Cam Ranh, a city on Vietnam’s southeastern coast. Pham Thu Hang, spokesperson for Vietnam’s foreign ministry, emphasized earlier in the week that port calls serve as “ordinary friendship exchanges for peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.”
The strong bilateral ties between the United States and Vietnam are pivotal for Washington to maintain its dominant position in the region, according to Phuong. “The US hopes that by deploying one of its most formidable naval assets, they will have a trusted and reliable partner in Vietnam,” he added. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Hanoi in April further underlined the US commitment to upgrading diplomatic ties.
This marks the third visit by a US aircraft carrier to Vietnam, following the historic port call by the USS Carl Vinson in 2018, which was the first time such a ship had visited the country since the end of the war. The visit includes various cultural and community events, including a concert by the US Navy band, visits to an orphanage, and sports matches, fostering a sense of camaraderie between the nations.
