Will the symbols of American and Chinese naval might meet in the waters of the disputed South China Sea soon? Probably not.
But the U.S. Navy's 3rd Fleet deployment of its USS Carl Vinson carrier strike group late last week to the Western Pacific has raised eyebrows in China, which itself wrapped up a much-heralded training mission there for its first carrier earlier this month.
Due to arrive sometime around the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, the American deployment — the first such mission since World War II — could give the unpredictable and outspoken leader another card to play as he faces off with China.
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