Kamala Harris, Vice President, delivers remarks at the official launch ceremony of the CDC Southeast Asia Regional Office (Hanoi) on August 25, 2021. Evelyn Hockstein/Getty Images
China beat the US in Vietnam with its pledge to donate two million COVID-19 vaccinations.
Kamala Harris was on her way to Vietnam at the time.
More than 1 million COVID-19 vaccinations have been promised by the USA to Vietnam.
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Kamala Harris was traveling to Vietnam to give one million COVID-19 vaccinations. China, however, took advantage of a scheduling error and sent its diplomat to meet the prime minister. The Washington Post reported that China offered two million vaccines.
Harris will be traveling to Southeast Asia this week in the larger effort of the Biden administration to limit China's growing influence around the world. President Joe Biden has made China's challenge on the international stage a top priority in his foreign policy. He views it as a fight between democracy and dictatorship. The evolving competition between the two great powers is evident in China's attempt to outdo the US in Vietnam.
Pham Minh Chinh, the Vietnamese Prime Minister, thanked the Chinese diplomat and stated that Vietnam does not ally itself with any country to fight another.
Harris met Monday with Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The US is under international scrutiny for the chaos that surrounded the withdrawal of US troops in Afghanistan. Harris said during a press conference with Lee, "The main reason I'm here is because the US has a global leader and we take that responsibility seriously."
Harris also addressed China during the visit in a separate speech. He was critical of China's actions regarding South China Sea.
Harris stated, "In the South China Sea we know that Beijing continues coerce, intimidate and to make claims on the vast majority of South China Sea." The 2016 decision of the arbitral tribunal rejected these unlawful claims. Beijing's actions continue undermine the rules-based order, and threaten the sovereignty nations.
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She added, "The US stands by our allies and partners in face of these threats."
Harris also addressed Afghanistan's crisis, which has cast an unfavorable shadow over Harris' trip. She claimed that Biden made the courageous and right decision "to end this war because of what we had done there to achieve."
Vice President said that the US is "laser focused on the task at the hand" as it scrambles for evacuations by the August 31 deadline.
On Wednesday, Harris in Vietnam continued to criticize China for its bullying tactics in the South China Sea.
According to the Associated Press, Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, stated that China strongly rejects the US deployment in South China Sea of law enforcement forces, and also denies any interference in regional affairs or disruption to regional peace and stability.
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