Leon Panetta Is First Top U.S. Official Since War In Cam Ranh Bay

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta speaks to crew members aboard the USNS Richard Byrd and their Vietnamese counterparts in Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam, June 3, 2012. Panetta is the first defense secretary and the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit the Vietnamese port since the end of the Vietnam war in 1975 and the normalization of relations between the U.S. and Vietnam 17 years ago. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

Leon Panetta Becomes Highest Ranking Official To Visit Vietnam Base Since War -- The Telegraph

Leon Panetta, the US defence secretary, became the highest ranking official to visit a key Vietnam base used by American troops during the war as part of a major push to expand its naval presence in Asia.

Cam Ranh Bay and its airfield was one of the three main hubs used by the US until the end of the Vietnam war in 1975 and was then leased to the Soviet Union, which used it throughout the Cold War.

The bay is one of the South China Sea's best natural harbours, and the US hopes to use it to boost its naval presence as it seeks to counter the rise of China's navy.

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More News On US Secretary of Defense Panetta Visiting Cam Ranh Bay

Panetta Is First Top U.S. Official Since War in Cam Ranh Bay -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Pentagon seeks return to long-abandoned military port in Vietnam -- L.A. Times
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta highlights U.S. ties to Vietnam during visit -- Washington Post
Leon Panetta arrives at Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam -- MSNBC/AP
US sees strategic role for Vietnam's southern port -- Asia One/AFP
Pentagon seeks return to long-abandoned military port in Vietnam -- McClatchy News
Panetta sends message to China on Vietnam visit -- FOX News/AP