As Duterte Shifts Toward China, Vietnam Bolsters U.S. Ties

  • Envoy to Vietnam hails ‘enormously significant milestone’
  • Philippines is considering treaty with China on exploration
USS Carl Vinson off the coast in Danang on March 5.Photographer: Linh Pham/AFP via Getty Images
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This week’s visit by a U.S. aircraft carrier to Vietnam -- the first since the war -- highlights a growing relationship between the former enemies that has blossomed even as the Philippines, a long-time American ally, gets closer to China.

The USS Carl Vinson arrived off the central city of Danang on Monday for a five-day visit along with two escort ships carrying some 6,000 sailors and aviators. The crew will meet with their Vietnamese counterparts, visit victims of Agent Orange, and participate in a soccer match and a concert.