World media comments on USS Car Vinson aircraft carrier visiting Vietnam

The Diplomat of JapanThe visit to Vietnam by the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier, although the result of processes that were carried out a long time ago, still demonstrates its importance to the Vietnam-US relationship, as well as the defense policies of the US and Vietnam, as well as countries in the region in general.

USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier.

Russia's Sputnik newspaperMarch 5 quoted the comments of Mr. Vladimir Terekhov, an expert on Asia-Pacific, about the relationship between the United States and Vietnam today.

With a total of 5,000 sailors on the USS Carl Vinson, Mr. Terekhov said: "It is clear that this large delegation is the largest US military presence since the end of the Vietnam War. Vietnam currently maintains a fairly favorable stance in its relations with the United States.

According to Mr. Terekhov, the process of building comprehensive relations between Vietnam and the United States is currently taking place, so it is not surprising that American ships visit Vietnamese ports. "The building of good relations between Vietnam and the United States has been going on since the beginning of the last decade and is gradually developing."

ExpressyourThe tour details the activities of the US sailors during the visit, including visits to an orphanage and a care center for victims of Agent Orange, a toxic chemical widely used by the US military during the Vietnam War, which has left generations of people here suffering serious health consequences such as cancer, birth defects and many other neurological and psychological problems.

Other cultural exchange activities such as cuisine and sports will also take place between US aircraft carrier soldiers and Vietnamese officers and soldiers.

Soldiers and sailors on the US aircraft carrier in Da Nang.

The British TelegraphThe Carl Vinson's visit to Vietnam is part of the US Navy's multinational disaster response exercise in the Indo-Pacific region, and is also an effort to affirm the US presence and commitment in the region.

New York Times, one of the largest and oldest newspapers in the US, said that this visit of the Carl Vinson marks a new milestone in the increasingly improving relationship between Vietnam and the US in the context of major changes in the regional geopolitical situation.

"This is a historic step, because no American aircraft carrier has been here in 40 years," the NYTimes quoted Rear Admiral John V. Fuller, commander of the Carl Vinson aircraft carrier strike group, whose father fought in Vietnam. "We hope to continue what we have always done, which is to promote security, stability and prosperity in the region," Mr. Fuller emphasized.

WSJassessed that the visit of the Carl Vinson marked the "highest level in Vietnam-US relations" in decades, and considered it a "victory" for the US in its efforts to maintain its economic and military presence and influence in Southeast Asia.

The first sailors left the aircraft carrier and boarded a Vietnamese ship to go ashore.

UPI News AgencyThe US considers this visit a valuable opportunity to strengthen strategic cooperation with Vietnam to address common issues facing the two countries and the region, especially in the fields of security and freedom of navigation.

Reuters news agencyThe Carl Vinson ship arrived in Da Nang in the context of the Trump administration continuously signaling that the US wants to further develop security relations with Vietnam in many areas.

During his visit to Hanoi in November 2017, Mr. Trump mentioned the possibility of selling missiles and modern weapons systems to Vietnam. A month later, the National Security Strategy released by the Trump administration considered Vietnam a “maritime cooperation partner.” In January, US Secretary of Defense James Mattis visited Vietnam, laying the groundwork for the Carl Vinson’s visit to Da Nang.

Reuters commented that this opens up many opportunities for Vietnam-US military cooperation, in the context that Hanoi needs more resources to protect its sovereignty, maritime security, and maritime safety.

Singapore's Channel News AsiaAn article quoted a US Navy spokesman as saying, “The focus of the first visit by a US aircraft carrier to Vietnam in four decades is not military cooperation but professional exchanges between Vietnamese experts and US sailors.”

The Carl Vinson aircraft carrier’s arrival in Da Nang marks an important step forward in the bilateral relationship. US Navy spokesman Tim Hawkins stressed that the visit is an “important milestone” and an opportunity for both countries to learn from each other. Of course, observers cannot ignore such a remarkable event.

Image of the USS Carl Vinson anchored off the coast of Da Nang, Vietnam. Photo: Reuters

BBCOn March 5, the headline read: “US aircraft carrier Carl Vinson on historic visit to Vietnam.” The article stated that the US aircraft carrier group was making a historic visit to Vietnam, and this was the first time a ship of this size had visited since the end of the Vietnam War.

The USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier docked in the Vietnamese port city of Da Nang, where US troops first landed during the Vietnam War and the location chosen was clearly highly symbolic. The US aircraft carrier's visit is intended to demonstrate the increasingly improving US-Vietnam relationship.

News agencyAPCiting experts and researchers, the news agency said that the visit of the USS Carl Vinson to Vietnam shows the high level of trust between the two countries, the strong defense relationship as well as the continuous involvement of the US Navy in regional issues. The news agency said that this can be considered a message from the US that Washington has, is and will maintain its presence here.

Channel News AsiaExcerpt from an interview with the deputy commander of the USS Carl Vinson, Tim Hawkins, shared that the visit of the US ship is an opportunity for both sides to learn from each other in a “meeting of experts”. According to Mr. Hawkins, about 300 Vietnamese experts in many fields such as mechanics, firefighting, cuisine, rescue, disaster response, medicine and research plan to visit the ship, meet the sailors and share training, education and practice experiences with each other. Mr. Tim Hawkins said the visit not only focuses on the military aspect, but it is also an opportunity for the two countries to “exchange cultures”.

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