Guards at the Curragh had blanks in their weapons and the internees, allied and German, were allowed to visit local pubs and join fishing and golf trips.
Vietnam has revved up South China Sea land reclamation efforts this year, beginning construction on eight previously untouched Spratly Islands features.
The nation’s top military officer is visiting U.S. troops Monday in Puerto Rico and on a Navy warship in the region, where the U.S. has amassed a fleet.
The U.S. and the Philippines announce a joint task force to deter what Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth calls Beijing’s “coercion” in the South China Sea.