Would the US’ China policy be even harsher if Kamala Harris won the presidency?
- With Joe Biden out of the race and endorsing his vice-president, observers say there is ‘no daylight’ between the two on foreign policy
But there were uncertainties over whether she could win the Democratic Party’s nomination due to her mixed record while in political office, they said.
Chong Ja Ian, a US-China relations specialist at the National University of Singapore, said he expected Harris to follow the China policy set by Biden.
“A Harris administration may be more consistent and systematic in its approach to policies toward [China] … Harris has been on record supporting human rights issues that [China] and the [Communist Party of China] finds critical,” he said.
Harris is considered to be tough on issues such as human rights in Hong Kong and Xinjiang, as well as Washington’s Indo-Pacific strategy. She has stepped up contacts with US partners in the region and pledged US commitment to help counter China’s military activities in the disputed South China Sea.
