American fighter jets prepare to take off from the USS George Washington, cruising waters about 320 kilometers (200 miles) off Vietnam’s central coast in the South China Sea on Sunday, Aug. 8, 2010. Cold War enemies the United States and Vietnam demonstrated their blossoming military relations Sunday as the U.S. nuclear supercarrier cruised in waters off the Southeast Asian nation’s coast, sending a message that China is not the region’s only big player. (AP Photo/Margie Mason)