Vice President Kamala Harris will focus on defending international rules in the South China Sea, strengthening US leadership in the region and expanding cooperation on matters of security during her trip to Vietnam and Singapore, a senior White House official told Reuters.
Former US foe Vietnam has emerged as a key partner of the United States and a vocal opponent of China's territorial claims in the South China Sea. Several countries in the region largely welcome a US presence in the face of Beijing's militarization of the waterway and its vast coastguard and fishing fleet.