A U.S. Navy aircraft carrier is expected to make a port visit to Vietnam in March, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said. It would be the first such visit in the postwar era.
The planned visit to Danang is likely to irritate China, which is critical of U.S. moves to add to its military muscle in the region.
Mattis and his counterpart, Ngo Xuan Lich, discussed the planned carrier visit during a closed-door meeting, Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis said. Davis said the Vietnamese are awaiting final approval by more senior government authorities, but Mattis appeared to indicate it was a done deal.
"From postwar legacy issues to what Minister Lich called the positive trajectory of our military-to-military relations, I'm confident we're on the right trajectory, sir," Mattis said in his opening remarks at the presidential palace, where he and the president sat side-by-side beneath a large bust of revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh.
No comments:
Post a Comment