America and Vietnam cosy up

ABOARD THE USS GEORGE WASHINGTON – Cold War enemies United States and Vietnam demonstrated their blossoming military relations yesterday as a US nuclear supercarrier cruised in waters off the southeast Asian nation’s coast – sending a message that China is not the region’s only big player.The visit comes 35 years after the Vietnam War as Washington and Hanoi are cosying up in a number of areas, from negotiating a deal to share civilian nuclear fuel and technology to agreeing that China needs to work to resolve territorial claims in the South China Sea.The stop is officially billed as a commemoration of last month’s 15th anniversary of normalised diplomatic relations between the former foes. The timing also reflects Washington’s heightened interest in maintaining security and stability in the Asia-Pacific amid tensions following the sinking of a South Korean warship in March. (AP)