Vice President Kamala Harris continued her hawkish rhetoric against China on Wednesday while meeting with Vietnamese leaders in Hanoi. Harris urged Vietnam to join the US in opposing what she called Beijing’s “bullying” in the South China Sea.
“We need to find ways to pressure and raise the pressure, frankly, on Beijing to abide by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and to challenge its bullying and excessive maritime claims,” Harris said in a meeting with Vietnam’s President Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, known as UNCLOS, is an international treaty that defines the rights of nations to territorial waters. In July 2020, Washington formally rejected most of Beijing’s claims to the South China Sea under the framework of UNCLOS, although the US has never ratified the treaty and is not a party to it.
Since the Obama administration, the US has sent warships to challenge China’s claims to the South China Sea. In recent years, overall US military activity in the disputed waters has increased significantly. Harris pledged this provocative activity would continue. She said the US will “maintain a strong presence in the South China Sea” to challenge Beijing.
Harris also called for strengthening US-Vietnam security ties and said she favors the idea of deploying a Coast Guard cutter to the Southeast Asian Nation. For their part, the Vietnamese seem hesitant to join the US in its hardline stance on China. Ahead of Harris’ visit, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh assured the Chinese envoy in Vietnam that Hanoi has no intention of joining an anti-China alliance.
Harris delivered a similar message in Singapore on Tuesday, where she accused Beijing of “coercion” and “intimidation” in the South China Sea. Her two-country tour in Southeast Asia comes after Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin traveled to the region in July.
Back-to-back visits from high-level US officials to Southeast Asia demonstrates the importance of the region to the Biden administration and the priority that is being put on rallying Asian countries against China.
She doesn’t even know the US is not a Party to UNCLOS, what’s more, she doesn’t even know she doesn’t know.😂😂😂😂😂
You have to give the Americans credit for shear brass neck.
Nor does she know that UNCLOS rules specifically prohibit non-signatories in having ANY standing in disputes arising from its implementation.
It makes a good reading — positions of both Singapore and Vietnam, forcing Kamala Harris to switch to new age rhetoric — can we all get along! And she was reminded daily of the scenes at Kabul Airport. In joint communications, China was not even mentioned, moreover, out of VP mouth came statement that cooperation is NOT aimed at any third party!
For US media market, China is a bully remarks are served. But final statements indicate that Biden is going to undo what Trump has done, and rollback tariffs. In fact, approved some chip sales to Huawei. At the time Huawei really does not need it, while American companies are dying for sales to China. China will be buying, but will continue decoupling and independence. Buying from US will become an act of charity, in exchange for improved US behavior.
How will it work for the zealots running Hollywood in the Potomac, remains to be seen.
Xi should ask Mexico to help resist Pentagonian bullying.
Better yet, offer help to US citizens resisting Pentagonian occupiers.
Ive read your comments. On one hand you hate the US for purported war crimes and perpetual war. On the other hand you support communist dictatorships that have killed more people than fascism and all the religious since the crusades combined. Im sure youre one of those that rants against migrant camps used by the CBP, yet turn a blind eye to REAL concentration camps in China. Yuri Bezmenov was right about you left wing nut jobs.
Many Vietnamese will remember our bullying which caused more than 100,000 (highest estimate) lives and dumped almost 20 million gallons of Agent Orange on their country.
She will be disappointed as Vietnam never yield…!
And like Banquo, the ghost of South Vietnam looms over the meeting…
“Uh, Ms. Harris? We live next door to China. You do not.”
LOL this wouldn`t the Vietnam were America killed 3 millon civilians and people are still dieing from Agent Orange would it , TBH i think the Vietnamese are just being polite in allowing Harris into the country
Yes, that would be that Vietnam.
It’s also the Vietnam that the Chinese have invaded many times, most recently in 1979.
If I’m Vietnam I have two words for witch Harris: Phuc you.
A real leader would be trying to get all involved parties to the table to reach a diplomatic solution. Instead the US chooses sides and raises tensions exposing its hand that it is following an imperial agenda.
Harris going around talking tough like she’s ready to depose Biden