Vietnam: Japanese Destroyers Visit Strategic Port

April 12, 2016 | 09:52 GMT

Two Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force guided-missile destroyers made a port call at Vietnam’s strategic Cam Ranh Bay naval base on April 12, the first visit of its kind, Kyodo reported. The two destroyers are expected to conduct joint drills with the Vietnamese navy. Cam Ranh Bay faces the South China Sea, including the contested Paracel and Spratly island chains, a source of dispute between Vietnam and China. Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said at a news conference he expects bilateral defense cooperation with Vietnam to grow. This visit was agreed to in November between Nakatani and his Vietnamese counterpart at the time, Phung Quang Thanh.