Changing Times as Us Aircraft Carrier Visits Vietnam After 54 Years

Times are changing. What was unthinkable three decades back is now in the realm of reality The US was embroiled in a war in Vietnam to stop the spread of communism. At one time over 500,000 US troops were in South Vietnam but after a decade the US military and think tank concluded that the war was not winnable. They signed a peace accord that ultimately led to the North taking over South Vietnam. At that time Vietnam was the enemy of America and the war itself created a big divide in America. Many wanted to know the reason why the US was fighting in Vietnam and for who.

The US retreat led to the collapse of the South Vietnam regime which was overrun by Ho Chi Minh's troops. Relations remained frosty for decades but slowly the thaw set in. Vietnam made overtures, as it is threatened by China in the South China Sea and the two countries also fought a war in 1979. As part of the changing scenario, the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson visited Da Nang Port from 5-9 March 2018. It was the first visit by a US carrier after 1964. The visit was not to the liking of China.

The US has unveiled its strategy of countering China in the South China Sea and Eastern Pacific. As part of the policy, the US lifted the arms embargo on Vietnam in 2016. Vietnam can buy sophisticated weaponry from the USA. The reason for this is that the US is concerned with the growing power of China and its aggressive intentions in South China. The Chinese have presented a fait accompli to the peripheral nations around the South China Sea and the USA, by occupying islands and reclaiming many islands from the sea. They have gone ahead and militarized the islands and also built airstrips for jet fighter operations.

This policy seems to be a belated action. The US is formulating a plan to counter China when China has already achieved 90% of its objective. One is reminded that President Duterte had said that if the US was serious earlier, why did it not send five aircraft carriers into the South China Sea and nip Chinese expansionism in the bud?

The change in strategy came when Trump was the President. The visit of the carrier which was docked in Manila irked China. General Mattis had visited Hanoi the capital of Vietnam in January and in meetings with his counterpart Vietnamese Défense Minister Ngo Xuan Lich had agreed on the visit of the US carrier.

None of the nations around the SC sea namely Vietnam, Philippines, Borneo, Formosa, and Singapore can militarily match China. The US which has been a stringent critic of Chinese policy is the only power that can effectively contain China.

The South China Sea is very important for both trade and natural resources. China has already seized many islands and at that time US President Barack Obama never realized the gravity of the situation. Under Donald Trump, the Pentagon formulated a new strategy to counter China in the SC Sea and Eastern Pacific. Once Trump was defeated the policy to contain China went with him.

Future

CNN reported that Beijing accused the US of trespassing after an American warship sailed near the disputed Scarborough Shoal. This is an uninhabited reef that China seized from the Philippines in 2012. The US has made it clear that it does not recognize China’s claims and will continue its freedom of navigation exercise in the SC Sea. Every passing month, the Chinese are building up their potential and power and America seems to be ebbing. The period of Joe Biden has seen America touch a low end and the 2024 election will decide who will confront China or allow China to beat the USA..