United States: Kamala Harris begins tour of Southeast Asia amid the Afghan crisis

US Vice President Kamala Harris waves as she flies to Singapore at Joint Base Andrews, Md., August 20, 2021. REUTERS - EVELYN HOCKSTEIN

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

The American vice-president is due to visit Singapore this Sunday and will then continue her visit to Vietnam where she is expected on Tuesday evening.

A displacement which with the situation in Afghanistan takes on another dimension.

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With our correspondent in New York, 

Loubna Anaki

The vice-president of the United States has for mission " 

to show that the United States is here to stay

 " in a region where the influence of China continues to expand, especially in Vietnam.

In her talks, Kamala Harris is expected to focus on economic cooperation, security, human rights and the climate.

Kamala Harris begins this Sunday, August 22 with Singapore, where the United States has strategic military bases for this area of ​​Southeast Asia.

She will then go to Vietnam.

The timing with what is happening in Afghanistan could not be worse.

The American administration has been trying since the

fall of Kabul and the chaos

of the evacuations to rule out the parallel with the hasty departure of the Americans from Saigon.

To read also: Afghanistan: the lightning conquest of the Taliban tarnishes the image of the United States

Kamala Harris criticized after her first mission

Kamala Harris' trip was already shaping up to be a test of her diplomatic skills.

With the Afghan situation, it looks even more perilous.

She will no doubt have to answer difficult questions.

His first trip abroad, a few months ago to

South America

, had earned him some criticism because of his statements on immigration.

Criticisms addressed by Republicans, but also by progressive Democrats.

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  • United States

  • Kamala harris

  • Singapore

  • Vietnam

  • Diplomacy