 After many years of disliking Kerry due to his actions with Vietnam Veterans Against the War, McCain developed "unbounded respect and admiration" for him during the hearings.The actions of the committee were designed to allow for improved ties between the two countries, although that goal was not shared by a large segment of Republicans.McCain pressed for normalization of diplomatic relations with Vietnam, partly because it was "a time to heal ... it's a way of ending the war; it's time to move on," and partly because he saw it in the U.S. national interest to do so, in particular envisioning Vietnam as a valuable regional counterbalance against China.