In the upcoming Democratic National Convention next week, American Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to be officially confirmed as the Democratic Party’s nominee for the 2024 presidential election. Her series of foreign policies have once again sparked international attention, especially her stance on Communist China and Taiwan, which directly impacts the current geopolitical hotspot in the Indo-Pacific region.
As a former prosecutor, Kamala Harris focused on issues of justice, intelligence, and human rights during her tenure as a U.S. Senator before becoming Vice President in 2021. She only began to engage in diplomatic affairs after assuming the role of Vice President under President Biden. While American media generally view Harris’s diplomatic experience as inferior to that of President Biden’s, they believe she will follow Biden’s foreign policy direction and is considered predictable.
At the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit held in Bangkok, Thailand in November 2022, Harris had a brief face-to-face conversation with Chinese Communist leader Xi Jinping. Just a week before, President Biden also held a face-to-face meeting with Xi Jinping for the first time at the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia.
During her meeting with Xi Jinping, Harris reiterated President Biden’s stance on U.S.-China relations, emphasizing the importance of maintaining open communication channels and managing competition to prevent conflict.
Following House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in August of that year, the Chinese Communist Party conducted military exercises in the Taiwan Strait to intimidate Taiwan and refused to answer a high-level military hotline call from U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, leading to a downturn in U.S.-China relations.
After meetings with Xi Jinping, both Biden and Harris, the tense relationship between the U.S. and China eased somewhat.
In January of that year, during the inauguration of the new President of Honduras, Harris had a brief conversation with then-Vice President of Taiwan, Lai Ching-te (currently President of Taiwan), expressing America’s friendly stance towards Taiwan.
In a CBS interview in September 2023 discussing U.S.-China relations, Harris stated that America does not seek to decouple from China, nor does it seek conflict, but instead aims to manage risks.
Harris stated, “The U.S. policy is not to decouple from China but to manage risks; it is about understanding the situation. When you are in any form of competition, there will be tensions, but that does not mean we are seeking conflict.”
Harris believes that China’s economy is facing difficulties due to the Chinese Communist Party not adhering to international rules, while America needs to protect its interests.
She said, “More and more people realize that when looking for a stable investment environment, China may not be the best choice because of its issues in adhering to and respecting international rules and norms.”
“We are not withdrawing from the Chinese market; instead, we are ensuring that we are protecting American interests and leading in setting the rules, not following those of other countries.”
During her Asia visit in September 2022, Harris publicly condemned China’s provocative actions towards Taiwan as disruptive to the international order.
After meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, the White House issued a statement saying Harris and Kishida “discussed China’s recent aggressive and irresponsible provocations in the Taiwan Strait, reaffirming the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.”
Subsequently, Harris visited the U.S. Navy’s largest overseas base in Yokosuka, Japan, and boarded the USS Howard DDG-83 destroyer to deliver a speech condemning Chinese military and economic threats and intimidations against Taiwan and other neighboring countries.
Harris said, “China is undermining key elements of the rules-based international order, challenging maritime freedom. China is using its own military and economic power to coerce and intimidate neighboring countries. We have witnessed troubling actions in the East China Sea, South China Sea, and recently in the Taiwan Strait.”
Harris reiterated that the U.S. will continue to deepen its unofficial relationship with Taiwan and support Taiwan in its self-defense.
She stated, “We will continue to oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo, and we will continue to support Taiwan’s self-defense, consistent with our long-standing policy.”
“Taiwan is a vibrant democracy that contributes globally in various aspects such as technology and health, and the U.S. will deepen its unofficial relationship with Taiwan.”
To safeguard freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific region, Harris emphasized, “We will continue to fly, sail, and operate at any time and place permitted by international law, steadfast and fearless.”
Lastly, during her meeting with South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol, Harris reiterated, “The U.S. is committed to upholding the rules-based international order and ensuring stability in the Taiwan Strait.”
In August 2021, during her first Asia trip as Vice President, Harris criticized China’s sovereignty claims in the South China Sea as a threat to the sovereignty of other nearby countries while underscoring the importance of joint efforts with allies to address the Chinese threat.
In a speech in Singapore, Harris criticized China’s “coercive and threatening” sovereignty claims over “most of the South China Sea.”
She said, “These unlawful claims were dismissed by the 2016 (international) arbitral tribunal ruling, and Beijing’s actions continue to undermine this rules-based order and threaten the sovereignty of some countries.”
Harris emphasized that the U.S. will “confront threats with our allies” and work to establish a “free and open” Indo-Pacific region for itself and its allies.
Since 2012, China has been increasing its military presence in the South China Sea by constructing artificial islands and military airstrips, as well as intruding into the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone to assert its sovereignty.
As tensions between China and the Philippines escalated in the South China Sea, Harris met with Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. multiple times to demonstrate America’s security commitment to the Philippines.
Just before her CBS interview in September 2023, Harris had recently met with Marcos again at the ASEAN summit held in Indonesia.
At the time, the White House issued a statement saying, “The two leaders discussed the maritime security environment in the South China Sea and examined opportunities to enhance bilateral maritime cooperation, including possibilities for cooperation with like-minded partners.”
In the CBS interview discussing the South China Sea conflict, Harris criticized China’s unwarranted actions against the Philippines and reiterated America’s mutual defense commitment to the Philippines to uphold the region’s international order, freedom, and prosperity.
Harris said, “There is no doubt we are concerned about the Chinese government’s actions in the South China Sea. These actions affect the security and prosperity prospects of affected countries in the region. For instance, I recently visited the Philippines and spent a lot of time engaging with President Marcos. China’s unwarranted actions against Filipino interests are egregious, and we have made it clear that we stand with the Philippines.”
“This is not only because of our defense treaty, but because if we cannot control the situation, the American people will directly feel the impact of disrupted free commerce in the region.”
“Southeast Asian leaders are most concerned about respecting and implementing international rules and norms. They also hope to avoid conflicts, which aligns closely with our policy towards China—we are not seeking conflicts, but we are also absolutely prepared and engaged in doing what is necessary for competition.”
During her time as a senator, Harris, along with Republican Senator Marco Rubio, jointly initiated and promoted two important bipartisan bills: the 2019 Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act and the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act. Both bills were signed into law by then-President Trump.
The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act authorized the U.S. government to sanction Hong Kong officials involved in “undermining Hong Kong’s basic freedoms and autonomy.” The Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act authorized the U.S. government to sanction “foreign individuals and entities responsible for human rights abuses in Xinjiang.”
In addition, in her autobiography published in 2019, Harris likened China’s cyberattacks on the U.S. to “bombing American cities” and pledged to combat China’s fentanyl drug imports to America.
In 2018, Harris also advocated for amending the 1996 Economic Espionage Act to strengthen deterrence against Chinese espionage, as she believed Chinese “non-traditional spying activities” and their “rampant behavior” caused severe losses to American interests.