An American nuclear-powered aircraft carrier has docked at Danang, Vietnam, for the first time since the end of the war between the former foes, in what is viewed as a push by Washington to challenge Beijing’s presence in the disputed South China Sea. Since the United States and Vietnam normalized relations in 1995, there have been regular goodwill visits by U.S. naval vessels and a fast-growing and increasingly important economic relationship between the two former enemies, though the U.S. has routinely criticized communist Vietnam's dismal record on human rights. “The visit also builds on the positive momentum of the comprehensive partnership between the U.S. and Vietnam, and will not only serve to strengthen the bilateral defense relationship, but will also help enhance cultural and professional ties.”

The sailors and Marines will participate in cultural exchanges with their Vietnamese counterparts, and some personnel will visit a center for victims of Agent Orange -- a defoliant that American planes sprayed on the jungle to remove cover. USS Carl Vinson Will Spend The Next Few Days In Da Nang, Vietnam

It's the first U.S. carrier visit since the end of the Vietnam war, and comes at a time of increasing tension between the U.S. and China, and among China and some of its neighbors — including Vietnam. For the first time since the Vietnam War, a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier is visiting a Vietnamese port, seeking to bolster both countries' efforts to stem expansionism by China in the South China Sea Monday, March 5, 2018. “The message the USS Carl Vinson sends is that the U.S. will maintain its naval presence in the South China Sea and that Vietnam supports the presence of the U.S. Navy as long as it contributes to regional peace and stability.”

Vietnam Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said the visit will “continue to promote bilateral relations within the framework of the two countries' comprehensive partnership and contribute to maintaining peace, stability, security, cooperation and development in the region.”

China claims sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea, where more than $5 trillion of goods are shipped each year through some of the world’s busiest waterways. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez, File)

"The visit of aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson to Vietnam signifies an increased level of trust between the two former enemies, a strengthened defense relationship between them, and reflects America's continued naval engagement with the region," said Le Hong Hiep, a research fellow at the Singapore-based ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.
The USS Carl Vinson enters Vietnam's Da Nang Port, becoming the first U.S. aircraft carrier to visit a Vietnamese port since the Vietnam War in 1975. The visit comes amid tensions in the region with China.