US troops’ exit from Afghanistan, Vietnam to impact Kamala Harris’ Asia trip

The chaos that took place in Afghanistan by the Taliban has given new urgency to US Vice President Kamala Harris’ tour of southeast Asia. Harris is likely to attempt to reassure allies of American resolve following the chaotic end of a two-decade war.

The trip, which is scheduled to begin on Friday and includes stops in Singapore and Vietnam, will provide a forum for the vice president to assert herself more directly in foreign affairs.

Harris will have opportunities to affirm what she and President Joe Biden view as core American values, including human rights. It is also important given the concerns about the future of women and girls in Afghanistan with the Taliban back in power.

Also read: Explained: What Taliban means to India, its stand on Afghan peace process

However, there are substantial risks. Harris is largely untested in international diplomacy and foreign policy. She is likely to witness humiliation during her swing through Vietnam of the comparisons of the withdrawal of US troops there in 1975 and the tumultuous effort this week to evacuate Americans and allies from Afghanistan.

Brett Bruin, who served as global engagement director during the Obama administration and was a long-time diplomat said, “She’s walking into a hornet’s nest, both with what’s taking place in Afghanistan, but also the challenge of China that looms particularly large in Vietnam.”

“On a good day, it’s walking a tightrope. On a not so good day, it’s walking a tightrope while leading an elephant across. There’s just an enormous set of issues that she will run into from the moment that Air Force Two touches down,” Bruin added.

In June, Harris struggled at points when her first major trip abroad took her to Guatemala and Mexico. Her unequivocal warning to migrants not to come to the US angered some progressive Democrats while doing little to mollify Republican critics who said the administration wasn’t doing enough to address a growth of crossings at the southern border.

Also read: Taliban rummaged through papers at Indian consulates, took away cars: Report

However, Harris will have a fresh chance to make a global impression when she arrives in Singapore.

On Monday, Harris will speak with Singapore President Halimah Yacob over the phone, participate in a bilateral meeting with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and deliver remarks on a US combat ship visiting Singapore.

Former US ambassador to Vietnam David Shear said Harris must be careful to offer a “positive” message to the nations, and avoid focusing entirely on China during her trip.

“Our relationships with these countries are important in themselves, and they don’t want to be thought of solely as a pawn in a US-China chess game. They want to be thought of on their own terms, and they want their interests to be considered on their own terms,” he said.

On Tuesday, Harris is planning to deliver a speech outlining the US vision for engagement in the region, and participate in an event with business leaders focused on supply chain issues.

Harris then heads to Vietnam, a country that holds both strategic and symbolic significance for the US. Leaders there have echoed US concerns about the rise of neighbouring China and the potential threat that could pose to global security.

It can be a potentially awkward position for Harris because Biden expressly rejected comparisons between Afghanistan and Vietnam in July, insisting there would be “no circumstance where you see people being lifted off the roof of an embassy” in Afghanistan. This can be a reference to historic images of a helicopter evacuating a US embassy in Saigon in 1975.