What was supposed to be a standard trip to Southeast Asia for Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to carry a lot more weight due to the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan over the past few weeks. She leaves for the region Friday.
Harris will speak with Singapore President Halimah Yacob by the phone, participate in a bilateral meeting with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and then deliver remarks on a U.S. combat ship visiting Singapore.
On Tuesday Harris is expected to give a speech outlining the future U.S. relationship with certain parts of the region. She will also participate in an event with business leaders focused on supply chain issues.
Harris then heads to Vietnam. It’s this stop that could be tricky for the V.P. Her appearance there could bring back memories of the withdrawal of U.S. troops in 1975, especially in the face of President Joe Biden’s criticized withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan.
“She’s walking into a hornet’s nest, both with what’s taking place in Afghanistan, but also the challenge of China that looms particularly large in Vietnam,” said Brett Bruen, Global Engagement Director during the Obama administration and a longtime diplomat. “On a good day, it’s walking a tightrope. On a not so good day, it’s walking a tightrope while leading an elephant across. There’s just an enormous set of issues that she will run into from the moment that Air Force Two touches down.”
While Afghanistan is likely to remain in the headlines during her Asia trip, China may be a bigger priority for Harris. With Beijing’s incursions in the South China Sea, engagement with Vietnam and Singapore is key to the Biden administration’s diplomatic and military goals in the region.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam David Shear said Harris must be careful to offer a “positive” message to the nations, and avoid focusing entirely on China.
“Our relationships with these countries are important in themselves, and they don’t want to be thought of solely as a pawn in a U.S-China chess game,” Former Ambassador Shear said. “They want to be thought of on their own terms, and they want their interests to be considered on their own terms.”
