U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will bring continuity to American foreign policy in Asia — including on support for the alliance with Japan and countering China — if the front-runner to replace President Joe Biden as the Democratic Party's nominee wins November’s presidential election.
Harris, 59, is widely expected to clinch the Democratic nomination after Biden bowed out of the presidential race on Sunday and endorsed her.
She brings to the table nearly four years as a U.S. senator and more than three as vice president, during which she built ties with allied leaders in Asia and gained valuable experience on issues such as Beijing’s moves in the disputed South China Sea and Washington’s push for a united front with Tokyo and Seoul in response to North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.