By NDT Special Bureau

The USS Theodore Roosevelt was the second US Navy aircraft carrier to dock at Da Nang, Vietnam since the end of the Vietnam War after the USS Carl Vinson visited the port in 2018. Washington’s strategic intent is now getting more evident than ever before. It’s commitment to check the supposed imperialist designs of China in the South China Sea is clear now. In addition to visiting Vietnam, the US Navy sailed a warship near Nansha Islands in the South China Sea on January 25 during China’s biggest annual holiday Spring Festival. The frequent presence of the US aircraft carriers and warships in the South China Sea displays American resolve to stop Beijing in its tracks.

As China tries to browbeat small regional countries to submission in the South China Sea, Washington continues to support the vulnerable countries in the South China Sea disputed waters. Vietnam could be American ally to contain China. The White House has escalated its conflicts with the Philippines’ Rodrigo Duterte administration and now realizes that Vietnam-a country with both the strength and willingness to challenge China-is the only remaining South China Sea territorial claimant that it can utilize.

Southeast Asian countries constitute an important part of Washington’s Indo-Pacific Strategy. Vietnam in particular, with its glorious past of humbling the superpower USA, holds up more promise for the US, especially in its strategic designs. US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said that the withdrawal of the US troops from Afghanistan will allow the US to relocate forces to “compete with China”. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo once stated, “China presents the greatest challenge that the United States will face in the medium to long term”. The Vietnam card that the US is now playing is a concrete embodiment of its Indo-Pacific Strategy. Washington needs to play the card well.

The US slapped arms embargo on Vietnam which was lifted by the Obama administration in 2016. However, no substantial deals have been made so far. Trump has expressed his dissatisfaction more than once and hopes to sell arms to speed up the pace of the arms trade between the two sides.

In contrast to the US, Vietnam’s response to the event was low-key on the US aircraft carrier’s visit. The welcome ceremony was hosted by local officials instead of the national government. Vietnam regards the visit as celebrating the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the US-Vietnam diplomatic relations. The US warship’s visit simply improves its logistics, technical and medical services capabilities in receiving foreign vessels. Vietnam has downplayed the visit not to upset China.

Vietnam’s strategic intentions are to show China that it has more options, friends and measures than China in terms of maritime disputes and that China must think twice before handling confrontations in the South China Sea. Vietnam also wants to show that it is winning more favours from the major powers. Both the US and Vietnam cooperate strategically. Arms trade could consolidate their relations. China is relaxed that the US and Vietnam have obvious and irreconcilable differences. Vietnam may not like to be a pawn of the US. It follows “Three Nos” defence policy that does not allow joining military alliances.

Both have also extremely different ideologies on human rights, democracy and freedom of public opinion which can’t be easily reoriented towards strategic congruence. Vietnam observes cautious cooperation with other powers. This was the case with China, and it will be the same with the US. China hopes that the US-Vietnam partnership would be nothing like the US-Japan, the US-South Korea or the US-Philippines partnerships.

China complains that Vietnamese fishing boats have been increasingly intruding into Chinese territorial waters near Hainan Island and Guangdong Province, both home to many Chinese military bases. Most of these fishing boats operated in areas close to the major routes for China’s naval and air forces stationed in the two provinces, and some Vietnamese boats even came within sight of Chinese military bases. Vietnam had conducted activities in the disputed waters of the South China Sea, but such activities in China’s non-disputed waters are of a more serious nature.

Beijing blames Vietnam of intrusions lasting for more than a decade and expects Hanoi to rein in its illegal fishing activities to maintain bilateral relations and its international image. In this backdrop the US-backing provides Vietnam more confidence in its dealings with China.

Photo Credit : Getty Images

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