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The United States welcomes competition and does not seek a conflict with Beijing-but will comment on issues such as maritime disputes in the South China Sea, Vice President Kamala Harris announced at the end of his Southeast Asia trip.
During his visit to Singapore and Vietnam, Harris accused China of bullying its neighbors in the region, triggering sharp accusations from Beijing, accusing the United States of interfering in regional affairs and undermining peace.
“We welcome fierce competition, we do not seek conflict, but on issues such as the South China Sea, we will speak out,” Harris said at a press conference in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, on Thursday.
“When actions taken by Beijing threaten the rules-based international order, we will speak out,” she added.
Harris’ seven-day visit to Singapore and Vietnam is part of a broader strategy for the United States to confront China on a global scale. However, the fatal incident in Afghanistan and the continuous withdrawal of US troops have overshadowed her visit.
China, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan have sovereignty over the disputed part of the South China Sea, which has important navigation channels passing through it, including gas fields and abundant fishing grounds.
During a meeting with Vietnamese leaders on Wednesday, Harris stated that China’s “hegemonic and excessive maritime claims” in the waters should be challenged, and he should support the United States to strengthen Vietnam’s maritime security, including more US warships visiting the country.
Her remarks aroused condemnation from the Chinese state media.
On Wednesday, the official newspaper China Daily said in response to Harris’ comments in Singapore that Harris “deliberately ignored his hypocrisy” and tried to unite the countries in the region against China.
On Thursday, after her meeting in Hanoi, the Global Times stated that the United States was “dreaming” of inciting Vietnam against China.
“For Washington, it would be great if a new war broke out between Beijing and Hanoi,” said a tabloid published by the official newspaper of China’s ruling Communist Party in an editorial.
I am honored to be in Vietnam.
Vietnam and all of Southeast Asia are important to the people, prosperity and security of the United States. pic.twitter.com/i4EJ8W64So
-Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) August 25, 2021
“Havana Syndrome”
In addition to the reprimands of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the official media, Beijing also tried to stage its own diplomatic coup during the visit, meeting suddenly in Vietnam, because Harris’ departure from Singapore was delayed by three hours.
During the unannounced meeting between Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Myung Ching and the Chinese ambassador, Chinh said that Vietnam is not partial to any party in foreign policy and thanked the ambassador for donating 2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine.
A day later, in a meeting with Chinh, Harris promised that the United States would donate 1 million doses of Pfizer vaccine to Vietnam.
The U.S. Embassy in Hanoi later blamed Harris’ delayed arrival on a mysterious health incident that may be related to the mysterious “Havana Syndrome,” an unexplained disease that has caused at least 200 U.S. officials, including CIA officials. I feel unwell, and have symptoms such as nausea, migraine and memory loss.
Speaking of the incident at a press conference on Thursday, Harris said: “I will tell you that we are investigating this matter and I cannot share more at this time.”
US Vice President Kamala Harris was interviewed by the media during a visit to the National Institute of Health and Epidemiology. 270,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine arrived in Hanoi on Thursday [Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters]Geopolitical test
The US government calls the competition with China “the greatest geopolitical test of this century” because it attempts to rebuild relations with the region through a series of high-profile visits.
In the past few years, despite Hanoi’s attempts to strike a delicate balance, tensions between China and Vietnam in the South China Sea remain high.
Hanoi maintains close ties with the ruling Communist Party in Beijing, and Vietnam relies on imported Chinese materials to support its manufacturing and exports.
At the same time, although Washington stated that this relationship was limited until Vietnam made progress in human rights, the relationship with America’s old rivals became closer and closer. Harris said she raised this to the country’s leaders. problem.
“We will not avoid speaking out, even if these conversations may be difficult to conduct, they may be difficult to hear,” she told reporters.
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