US Navy’s USS George Washington visits Vietnam for 1st time

The carrier, named in honor of the first president of the United States, entered Vietnamese territorial waters in the morning after a nearly-two-month deployment from its homeport of Yokosuka, Japan.

It had sailed through several areas of the western Pacific before reaching Vietnam.

The visit marks the first time USS George Washington has docked at a Vietnamese port.

In 2010, it became the first U.S. aircraft carrier since the normalization of bilateral relations in 1995 to host a delegation of Vietnamese officials while operating in international waters.

Additional Vietnamese delegations visited the carrier during its passages off Vietnam's coast in 2011 and 2012.

USS George Washington is one of the U.S. Navy's Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.

It is currently the Navy's only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, based in Yokosuka.

During its stay in Da Nang, the ship's commanding officers and crew are expected to participate in a series of goodwill activities with local authorities and residents.

The carrier will also welcome multiple groups of visitors on board.

Defense and security cooperation maintains momentum

USS George Washington is the fourth U.S. aircraft carrier to visit Vietnam since the two countries normalized diplomatic relations in 1995.

Previous visits included USS Carl Vinson in 2018, USS Theodore Roosevelt in 2020, and USS Ronald Reagan in 2023.

The succession of port calls reflects the significant evolution of Vietnam-U.S. relations, which have expanded from post-war reconciliation and confidence-building to broader cooperation in trade, education, healthcare, technology, and defense.

For Da Nang, a city that has frequently hosted international naval goodwill visits, the arrival of a U.S. aircraft carrier is not only a notable military and diplomatic event but it also highlights Vietnam's broader approach to managing relations with major powers – maintaining openness and engagement while adhering to its principles of independence and strategic autonomy.

The visit comes shortly after Acting U.S. Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao visited Vietnam in June.

At a recent meeting in the Philippines, Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio agreed that the two countries should maintain an appropriate pace of defense and security cooperation that reflects the interests of both sides and current regional conditions.

They also pledged to build on the outcomes of recent exchanges and high-level defense visits.

These developments illustrate the gradual implementation of the Vietnam-U.S. Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, established in 2023, with defense and security cooperation progressing steadily and cautiously.

Vietnam reaffirms balanced defense policy

Vietnam has consistently maintained that its defense cooperation is guided by its long-standing Four No's policy – no participation in military alliances, no affiliation with one country to oppose another, no permission for foreign countries to establish military bases in or use Vietnamese territory to oppose others, and no use or threat of force in international relations.

In practice, Vietnam can host a U.S. aircraft carrier in Da Nang while continuing to maintain defense ties with Russia, India, Japan, China, and other partners.

Shortly before USS George Washington's arrival, Vietnam welcomed a Russian naval task group, including a Kilo-class submarine, to Cam Ranh International Port in south-central Khanh Hoa Province.

Earlier this month, Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy training ship Qijiguang and amphibious landing ship Kunlunshan visited Ho Chi Minh City.

In June, the city also hosted Indian Navy frigate INS Udaygiri and anti-submarine warfare corvette INS Kavaratti.

Also, Da Nang received the Japanese maritime self-defense force destroyer JS Asahi in April for a goodwill visit and cultural exchange program.

These visits reinforce Vietnam's consistent diplomatic message: to deepen cooperation with all countries in support of peace, stability, and mutual interests while avoiding alignment with any geopolitical bloc or strategic confrontation.