A PLA Navy warship concluded a three-day rest and replenishment port of call in Vietnam’s Cam Ranh Bay on Friday.  The unnamed warship was on its way back from joint naval exercises with Singapore when it made the stop in Vietnam.

While the visit to Cam Ranh Bay was largely unremarkable and didn’t generate a lot of attention, these military engagements with Vietnam are very important strategically — particularly for the Vietnamese, who are keen to send a clear message to its other partners in Japan, the Philippines and, especially, the United States that it will maintain strong security ties with China.