Kamala Harris ends Asia tour with fresh jab at China
The HinduVice-President Kamala Harris launched a new broadside against China as she ended her Southeast Asian tour in Hanoi on Thursday, warning the U.S. would continue to push back against Beijing’s claims in disputed Asian waters. During the trip, Ms. Harris had already accused Beijing twice of bullying its neighbours in the resource-rich South China Sea — and on Thursday she again took aim at the Asian giant. But Ms. Harris has tried to steer clear of the historical parallels, instead emphasising American commitment to the region by opening a Southeast Asia branch of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control in Hanoi and donating a million COVID-19 vaccines to Vietnam. Ms. Harris insisted on Thursday that the U.S. did “not seek conflict” with Beijing, but it would “do what we can to make sure that we stay committed to our partners” on issues such as the South China Sea.