Advertisement
US navy aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt to visit Vietnam as South China Sea tensions simmer
- The US has identified former foe Vietnam as a strategic partner in the resource-rich waterway, most of which is claimed by China
- The USS Theodore Roosevelt’s visit will mark the second time a US Navy ship has docked in the country since the Vietnam War ended in 1975
Reading Time:4 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
American Navy aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt will visit Vietnam this week, with a stop scheduled at the coastal city of Da Nang on Thursday.
Advertisement
Designed as a symbolic show of unity amid simmering tensions in the resource-rich South China Sea, the vessel’s arrival serves as a statement of intent to China.
United States Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel Kritenbrink, US Pacific fleet commander John C. Aquilino and US Consul General Marie Damour will represent the American delegation at a welcome ceremony on Thursday, where Vietnamese dignitaries will also be in attendance.
Bill Hayton, associate fellow of the Asia-Pacific Programme at Chatham House, believes the visit has long been in the pipeline.
“Ship visits take a long time to organise, so I imagine this was planned several months ago. The message is to demonstrate the further development of military relations between the two countries. There can be little doubt the message is aimed at China,” said Hayton, the author of The South China Sea: The Struggle for Power in Asia.
Advertisement
Advertisement