US aircraft carrier strengthens ties with Vietnam in Da Nang port call.

The USS Ronald Reagan, along with two guided missile cruisers, made a rare port call in Da Nang, Vietnam, as the US seeks to strengthen economic and military ties in Southeast Asia amid China's increasing influence in the region. The visit follows visits to Vietnam this year from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai, and USAID Administrator Samantha Power. The aircraft carrier's port call is only the third such visit since relations were reestablished after the end of the Vietnam War. Vietnam needs to balance its sensitive ties with Beijing with the US outreach and domestic opinion.