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Photo by Tran Van Minh/AP Photo

The ship’s mission includes technical exchanges, sports matches and visits to an orphanage and a centre for victims of Agent Orange, a toxic defoliant sprayed by U.S. forces to deny cover for Communist fighters during the war. It marks a fine-tuning, rather than a turning point, in relations. The U.S. navy has staged activities in Vietnam for its Pacific Partnership humanitarian and civic missions in nine of the past 12 years.

U.S. Ambassador Daniel Kritenbrink praised the carrier’s visit.

“I think the visit by USS Carl Vinson demonstrates our commitment to the U.S- Vietnam partnership. It also demonstrates the dramatic progress we made in our bilateral relationship in recent years,” he said.

The ambassador said the two countries share a range of interests that include “a desire to maintain peace, prosperity, unimpeded commerce, freedom of navigation upon which the region and its economies depend.”

Although the visit is mainly symbolic and would not be able to change China's behaviour, especially in the South China Sea, it is still necessary in conveying the message that the U.S. will be there to stay

The United States normalized relations with Vietnam in 1995 and lifted an arms embargo in 2016, and the two former adversaries have steadily improved relations in all areas, including trade, investment and security.

The visit of an aircraft carrier — a more than 100,000-ton manifestation of U.S. global military projection — reaffirms closer relations as Beijing flexes it political, economic and military muscle in Southeast Asia, and Washington seeks to re-establish its influence.

“Although the visit is mainly symbolic and would not be able to change China’s behaviour, especially in the South China Sea, it is still necessary in conveying the message that the U.S. will be there to stay,” Hiep said.