US aircraft carrier heads to Vietnam as China’s rise brings old enemies together
A US Navy aircraft carrier is due to make a call in Vietnam tomorrow for the first time since the end of the Vietnam War as China’s rise continues to put the world on edge.
By WILL KIRBY
Express.co.uk
Sun, Mar 4, 2018
The USS Carl Vinson strike group’s 5,500 soldiers will arrive in Danang on Monday, the same port which served as a major staging post for the US war effort in the country.
It will be the first time a large number of US troops have set foot on Vietnamese soil since 1975.
The four-day port call will allow US troops to visit an orphanage and a centre for victims of Agent Orange, a powerful herbicide used by the US military which is blamed for leaving generations of Vietnamese with serious health issues including cancer, birth defects, and severe psychological and neurological problems.
Rear Admiral John V. Fuller, the commander of the Carl Vinson strike group, whose father served in Vietnam, said: “It’s a pretty big and historic step, since a carrier has not been here for 40 years.
“We hope to continue the same issue that we’ve always had, and that’s to promote security, stability and prosperity in the region.”
While the port call is being heralded an opportunity to build on the improving ties between the US and Vietnam, in reality it is seen as a shot at Beijing following China’s refusal to stop militarising the South China Sea.
John Kirby, a retired US Navy rear admiral, told CNN: “Vietnam has been deeply concerned about China’s pugilistic and aggressive moves in the South China Sea.
“They are worried about where China is going, and they have wanted for years now to have a better relationship with the United States.”
Recent surveillance photographs show Beijing’s growing efforts to militarise the disputed South China Sea, with new images revealing construction works during the latter half of 2017.
The sea carries huge strategic importance with one-third of the world’s shipping passing through, carrying over $3trillion in trade each year.
Oil and gas reserves are located under the seabed and the body of water also holds lucrative fishing opportunities.
China, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan have overlapping claims to the South China Sea, while Donald Trump repeatedly attacked Beijing during his presidential campaign for trying to snatch control of the waters.
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