US Harris' Foreign Policy Focus: "Indo-Pacific, Not Europe"

Analysis suggests that even if U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris is elected president, there will be no change in the United States' diplomatic policy focused on the Indo-Pacific region. This effectively dismisses the possibility of a U.S. foreign policy pivot recently raised regarding the Democratic Party's new platform.

Rush Doshi, senior fellow for Asia at the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), said in an interview with CNBC on the 21st (local time), "Looking at Harris's record as a senator and vice president, one can find deep investment, engagement, and focus on the Indo-Pacific region," explaining that if Vice President Harris enters the White House, U.S. foreign policy is likely to prioritize countering China and strengthening partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region.

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

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Earlier, the Democratic Party, announcing its platform revision to coincide with the opening day of the convention held in Chicago, reaffirmed the Biden administration's emphasis on alliances while signaling its intention to continue efforts to check China. However, some speculated that under the Harris administration, U.S. foreign policy might shift from the Indo-Pacific to a Europe-centered approach, due to the platform placing Europe at the top in the chapter dealing with foreign affairs and the final chapter on strengthening U.S. leadership. In the 2020 platform, regions were listed alphabetically, with the Asia-Pacific region preceding Europe.

Doshi emphasized, "Too much meaning should not be attributed to the order of the table of contents in the platform," and stressed the need to review the achievements Vice President Harris has made as a policymaker regarding Indo-Pacific regional issues. As a senator, Vice President Harris co-sponsored legislation sanctioning China for its democratic and human rights violations in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Xinjiang Uyghur region.

Doshi also highlighted that Vice President Harris is a well-connected figure who has built a strong network with Asian leaders. He said, "Harris has spent a lot of time traveling in the Asia region over the past four years and has met with almost all regional leaders," emphasizing that she has held meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping as well as heads of state from Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party's platform revision announced on the 19th stated, "The United States has stood with allies to support democracy and push back against autocratic regimes. It will continue to lead the world," outlining plans to cooperate with European and Indo-Pacific allies to block security cooperation among North Korea, Iran, and Russia, while continuing to strengthen checks on China. However, the platform was drafted before President Biden announced his decision not to run for re-election on the 21st of last month, and thus does not include Vice President Harris's policy plans.

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