United States Vice President Kamala Harris will engage in a series of meetings Monday in Singapore, as she embarks on a visit to Southeast Asia focused on countering China's growing influence and boosting relations with major allies in the region.
Harris will meet with Singapore's President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in a trip that risks becoming overshadowed by questions over ongoing events in Afghanistan as Washington ramps up efforts to withdraw its forces in the war-torn country.
The vice president will later visit the Changi naval facility and tour the USS Tulsa, a military vessel of the U.S. Navy. Singapore is home to the largest port in Southeast Asia and supports freedom of navigation, where the Chinese are growing increasingly assertive.
Harris is expected to address security and economic issues and ongoing efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, reports said.
On Tuesday, Harris will give a speech underscoring the Biden administration's roadmap for the region and meet with trade and business executives to discuss supply chain resilience and other related issues.
Harris arrived in Singapore Sunday as part of a seven-day visit to the region. The visit will also include a trip to Vietnam, during which U.S. officials will seek to discuss Washington's worries about China's claims to disputed parts of the South China Sea.
Singapore is a major U.S. naval anchor in Southeast Asia and has an extensive trade accord with the U.S. Singapore also seeks to improve relations with China and keep a neutrality stance in the face of deteriorating China-U.S. relations.
In a recent Reuters interview, Singapore's foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan welcomed the position the U.S. and China play in the region, reflecting the fragile diplomacy the U.S. has succeeded at and one that Harris has to explore.
Relations between Beijing and Washington declined sharply under U.S. President Joe Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump. The two countries remain at odds over a string of issues covering human rights and cybertechnology.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has recently visited the Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam, which focused on supporting Southeast Asian countries as territorial frictions with China unravel.
