Navy officials said the carrier's port call was planned in advance and not a response to recent maritime collisions between Beijing and Manila.
The port will accommodate larger cruise ships, and military vessels to counter the presence of Russian and Chinese ships in the Arctic.
U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, an Alaska Republican, said the expanded port will become the centerpiece of U.S. strategic infrastructure in the Arctic.
A U.S. Coast Guard cutter was recently unable to get clearance for a scheduled port call in the Solomon Islands, according to reports.
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