As the November electoral duel looms, with Kamala Harris, the present U.S. Vice President, set to battle against Republican nominee and ex-President Donald Trump, her stance on international policies – covering anything from aid to Israel and Ukraine, to addressing the threat of a resurgent China and handling the migrant predicament at the U.S.-Mexico border – is being keenly examined. At February’s Munich Security Conference, she furnished an outline of what an official from the White House defined as Harris’s global perspective. ‘I am of the firm belief that it is fundamentally in the interest of our citizens that America continues to play our historical part as a global frontrunner,’ was her proclamation.
As the potential President-elect, Harris would be taking over the administration’s enduring task of warding off or containing large-scale conflict in the volatile Middle East, while concurrently endorsing their ally, Israel. Following the initiation of the war in Gaza post the October 7th attack by Hamas, a significant allocation of diplomatic capital and military deterrence from the administration has been geared towards this effort. Observers envisage that Harris’s strategy won’t hugely diverge from the Biden administration’s long-range aspirations: securement of Israel and provision for a Palestinian state through a two-state solution and an integrative approach with Israel and Arab allies to counter the influence of Iran and its proxies.
The administration’s spokespeople are keen to highlight the importance of establishing a ceasefire in Gaza as a primary measure. Harris expressed her endorsement for Israel’s right to defend its citizens in the face of the recent assassinations of leaders from the Iran-aligned Hamas and Hezbollah. Concurrently, she called for an immediate termination of the hostilities.
In the European context, Harris has been a stalwart advocate of the policy pillars defined by Biden, assisting Ukraine in its stand for sovereignty, avoiding direct engagement with Russia, and preserving harmony in transatlantic alliances. A White House key person demurred from conjecturing what stance the U.S. would adopt towards Ukraine under a potential Harris governance, but signposted her past support for Kyiv. The official conveyed to VOA, ‘Her vocal defiance against autocrats like Putin and her collaborated efforts with our European allies to ensure that Ukraine’s defense needs are met, is evidence of her commitment. She has crucially facilitated the maintenance of NATO integrity.’
Over the course of this year, Harris has had a couple of meetups with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, first in Munich and then at Switzerland’s Peace Summit in June, where she reassured him of the administration’s pledged support for Ukraine’s resistance against Russia. This commitment persists even amidst escalating opposition from Republicans in Congress. If the Republicans retain control over the House of Representatives and the Democrats forfeit their thin Senate majority, Harris would face a significant challenge to keep U.S. financial aid for Ukraine intact.
Harris is seen as the administration’s primary player in bolstering alliances in the Indo-Pacific region, a strategic area where China is fortifying its diplomatic and economic footprint. Her interactions with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Asia Pacific Economic Forum have emerged from her multiple visits to the region. Stirring the international waters, she challenged Beijing’s growing aggression in the South China Sea while reinforcing the U.S. commitment to protect ‘international rules and norms’, all while voicing her support for the Philippines, a treaty partner.
In an unprecedented move in 2022, Harris became the debut senior U.S. official to visit the archipelago of Palawan in the Philippines, situated just 330 kilometers (205 miles) east of the hotly contested Spratly Islands, claimed in entirety by China and partially by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Robert Daly, director of the Wilson Center’s Kissinger Institute on China and the U.S., asserted that Harris would remain devoted to strengthening these partnerships and alliances.
For trade, Harris has expressed her intent to continue efforts to reduce dependency on China, while still maintaining commerce and investment activities without resorting to a mono-supplier policy. She was, generally, not inclined towards tariffs during her 2020 presidential run, according to Daly. ‘But like Biden, it seems she has had a change of heart on that subject. More of the same is expected moving forward.’
Shifting focus to unconventional security threats, Harris has also been active in roles that address emergent issues such as space exploration and climate change, leveraging her position as chair of the National Space Council and given the administration’s focus on advanced tech. Linda Robinson, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, affirms, ‘She’s been very vocal on tech issues, space, and climate,’
‘There’s clear intention to heighten public awareness about climate change, and how we’re on the brink of the point-of-no-return if immediate action isn’t taken,’ Robinson told the VOA.
Before stepping into senatorial shoes, Harris served as a district attorney in San Francisco and as California attorney general, roles with limited exposure to foreign policy. However, as Vice President over the past 3.5 years, she’s visited 21 countries and has had 150 official meetings with global leaders. Yet, opponents spearheaded by Trump, are trying to portray her as a novice and assert she lacks accomplishment. They’re also portraying her as a radical left-wing extremist, with claims that she would be detrimental to the country.
In response to such criticisms, Harris has thrown down the gauntlet to Trump, who has yet to take up her challenge for a presidential candidate debate, adding, ‘If you have something to counter, say it to my face.’