U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris waves as she boards Air Force Two June 14, 2021 in Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.
Alex Wong | Getty Images
Vice President Kamala Harris will take a trip to Singapore and Vietnam next month to enhance the U.S.’s relationship and financial ties with the Indo-Pacific area, the White House stated in a declaration on Friday.
Harris will be the very first U.S. vice president to go to Vietnam, and the highest-ranking authorities from the Biden administration to go to the Indo-Pacific, and Asia in general. Indo-Pacific describes the area that lies in between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, surrounded by Japan, India and Australia.
The go to comes as the administration works to strengthen local ties with Southeast Asian countries, while pressing back on China’s impact in the area and internationally.
“President [Joe] Biden and Vice President Harris have actually made it a leading concern to restore our worldwide collaborations and keep our country protected, and this upcoming go to continues that work – deepening our engagement in Southeast Asia,” Symone Sanders, senior consultant and chief representative for Harris, stated in the White House declaration.
The White House did not supply information on the dates of the journey. It will likewise work as Harris’ 2nd global journey in workplace after she checked out Guatemala and Mexico in June as part of her diplomatic efforts to attend to the origin of migration to the U.S.
Harris will consult with the leaders of Singapore and Vietnam to go over local security, environment modification and the coronavirus pandemic, according to the White House. She will likewise go over collaborations with the leaders to “promote a rules-based international order.”
The statement likewise comes simply days after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s own journey to Singapore, the Philippines and Vietnam, which concentrated on providing assistance to Southeast Asia countries as territorial rifts with China unfold.
The vice president’s go to verifies the strength of the relationship in between the U.S. and Singapore, according to a declaration launched on Friday by the press secretary to Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the Business Times reported.
Harris will consult with Singapore leaders to go over methods to comply in locations such as defense, digital trade and cyber security, according to the Business Times.
“I am delighted to welcome Vice-President Harris on her first official visit to Singapore,” the declaration stated, according to Business Times. “I look forward to our discussions on strengthening bilateral cooperation and working together on global challenges such as the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change.”
