Global Courant
HANOI — The US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan will stop in the central Vietnam port city of Danang on Sunday in a rare visit for a US warship to the Southeast Asian nation as tensions with Beijing in the South China Sea remain high.
The ship will arrive on Sunday afternoon and will remain in Danang until June 30, the spokesman for Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry reported on local media. The spokesperson did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
The USS Ronald Reagan’s visit is only the third for a US aircraft carrier since the end of the Vietnam War.
The USS Theodore Roosevelt stopped in Vietnam in 2020 to mark the 25th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War in 1975.
This year, Washington is seeking to strengthen its formal ties with Vietnam amid Hanoi’s frequent disputes with Beijing over borders in the South China Sea. China almost completely claims the waters, including the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam and other countries in the region.
US airlines regularly cross the energy-rich sea, which contains crucial routes for world trade. The warships are often overshadowed by Chinese ships.
The Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong and a group of escort ships sailed south through the sensitive Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, Taiwan’s defense ministry said. REUTERS
