DHAKA: US state secretary John Kerry on Saturday attended mass at a cathedral in Vietnam, where he served during the war, in a trip aimed at shoring up South-east Asian ties amid myriad regional tensions.

Kerry, a practicing Catholic whose experiences during the Vietnam War inspired his political activism, visited the French-colonial era Notre Dame Cathedral in southern Ho Chi Minh City as he began his first official visit to the nation as the top US diplomat.

Washington is eager to underscore its commitment to Asia after its ‘pivot’ policy was shaken earlier this year when the US government shutdown forced president Barack Obama to cancel a trip to the region, allowing China to occupy centre stage at key regional summits.

The region is beset by political and territorial tensions, including bitter maritime disputes between an increasingly assertive Beijing and a number of its neighbours, among them Vietnam, that have raised concerns a minor incident in contested waters could escalate rapidly, reports The Straits Times.

BDST: 1630 HRS, DEC 14, 2013
Edited by Robab Rosan, Current Affairs Editor