The flagship USS Blue Ridge, along with the US Coast Guard ship Wyche, docked at the former naval base reserved for foreign powers. The base was previously used by the United States, the Soviet Union, and Russia until 2002, when Vietnam ended the possibility of stationing foreign troops in the country. According to reports, this is not the first time in recent years that American warships have periodically docked in the country. In 2016 and 2017, the vessels arrived at Cam Ranh Bay.
Hanoi is trying to be careful about which authorities allow friendly visits to the main port, as Australia, Japan and China have previously been allowed.
Vietnam’s increasingly prominent geopolitical role is evidenced by the fact that the first men from the United States, China and Russia visited the country last year. The world powers are primarily looking for an opportunity to open foreign bases in the communist-led state, but Hanoi is trying to firmly reject such overtures. Vietnam is trying to balance the race in the South China Sea, which in turn means increased tensions between the governments of the region, and Hanoi itself is also involved in this issue, as Beijing claims territories close to the country’s shores.
Vietnam simply does not want to hand over control of its maritime territory to the great power in the East, and Washington supports that. In recent years, Russia has increased its influence in the Southeast Asian country, and the possibility of Russian warships returning to the main port has been raised. But in this regard, Russian foreign policy analyst Nikolai Mikovich said:
Washington is likely to turn a blind eye to the growing Russian-Vietnamese trade balance, although it will almost certainly pressure Hanoi not to allow Russia back into Cam Ranh Bay.
US President Joe Biden visited the Vietnamese capital in September 2023, and subsequently promised to strengthen ties, as the Western superpower's warships regularly arrive in the country's territorial waters.
Cover image credit: Kunal Patel/Hindustan Times via Getty Images
