U.S. aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson is seen in the Pacific Ocean on May 27, 2017. Torrey W. Lee/Courtesy U.S. Navy/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
CNN: US aircraft carrier in Vietnam for historic visit aimed at Beijing
Danang, Vietnam (CNN)For the first time since the end of the Vietnam War more than four decades ago, a US Navy aircraft carrier will set anchor in the country Monday.
Publicly, the United States has portrayed the four-day visit by the USS Carl Vinson and its contingent of 5,000 sailors and aviators as an historic opportunity to enhance the budding friendship that has emerged between the two former foes.
But, it's far from a standard port call.
Analysts say the visit by the aircraft carrier to Vietnam is a clear shot at Beijing, designed to counter China's aggressive island building and militarization in the South China Sea.
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Update #1: Vietnam seeks to pacify China as landmark US carrier visit signals warming ties -- Reuters
Update #2: US Aircraft Carrier Visits Vietnam For The First Time Since The War -- NPR
WNU Editor: This is a huge story in Southeast Asia.
