US VP Harris begins Asia trip amid Afghan debacle
US Vice President Kamala Harris (right) is greeted by Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan (left) upon her arrival at Paya Lebar Base airport in Singapore on August 22, 2021. — AFP pic
SINGAPORE, Aug 22 — Vice President Kamala Harris began a trip to Asia today where she will offer reassurances of Washington’s commitment to the region after the chaotic US pullout from Afghanistan and Taliban takeover.
The hardline Islamists’ swift return to power a week ago, and desperate scenes of thousands trying to flee, have cast another shadow over the United States’ status as a global superpower.
But on her visit, which includes stops in Singapore and Vietnam, Harris will seek to allay concerns about US dependability.
SINGAPORE, Aug 22 — Vice President Kamala Harris began a trip to Asia today where she will offer reassurances of Washington’s commitment to the region after the chaotic US pullout from Afghanistan and Taliban takeover.
The hardline Islamists’ swift return to power a week ago, and desperate scenes of thousands trying to flee, have cast another shadow over the United States’ status as a global superpower.
But on her visit, which includes stops in Singapore and Vietnam, Harris will seek to allay concerns about US dependability.
“The vice president will make clear throughout the trip that we do have an enduring commitment to the region,” said a senior US official.
Harris, an Asian-American whose mother was of Indian origin, landed in Singapore today and will start her activities tomorrow by meeting the city-state’s leaders.
The Vietnam leg has sparked criticism, with some accusing Harris of being tone-deaf for visiting the communist country as US forces struggle to evacuate Americans, other foreigners and Afghan allies from Kabul airport.
The crisis has prompted comparisons with the trauma of 1975 Saigon, when US helicopters ferried final evacuees from the embassy roof, as Viet Cong troops advanced.
US officials say the trip was planned long before the Afghan debacle, however — and insist Harris is focused on Washington’s broader strategic goals in Asia.
It is the latest visit by a top US official to the region, as President Joe Biden’s administration looks to build alliances against China and reset relations after the turbulent Donald Trump presidency.
‘Strategic, economic importance’
At a time when China is challenging US political sway and naval dominance in the Indo-Pacific region, Southeast Asia remains “strategically important and economically important to this country”, said a White House official, who asked not to be named.
“That hasn’t changed with Afghanistan.”
The 10-country region is a growing battleground for influence between the United States and China, and Washington has repeatedly criticised Beijing’s expansive claims to almost the entire South China Sea.
Four Southeast Asian states — Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam — as well as Taiwan have overlapping claims with Beijing in the flashpoint sea, home to key shipping lanes.
“Following the previous administration and what’s happening in Afghanistan, it is a categorical imperative for the US to build up political trust in this region,” said Mustafa Izzuddin, a senior international affairs analyst at consultancy Solaris Strategies Singapore.
During the Singapore leg of her trip, Harris will meet the president and prime minister and make a stop at the Changi Naval Base, where she’ll address US sailors aboard the visiting USS Tulsa.
She arrives in Hanoi late Tuesday, and will be the first US vice president to visit Vietnam.
She will hold Vietnamese government meetings, attend the opening of a Southeast Asian regional branch of the US Centers for Disease Control, and meet civil society representatives in the communist country.
She will also join a virtual meeting of Southeast Asian officials which will focus on the coronavirus pandemic. — AFP
When 5000 yo Bullyland found out 500 yo Bullyland was going to donate 1 million doses of superior Covid vaccine to Viet Nam, and Kamala Harris was going to officially open the South East Asian HQ for CDC, the Ugly Green Monster surfaced....
ReplyDeleteSo 5000 yo Bullyland Ambassador in Hanoi rebut2, potong jalan, bang on the Vietnamese PM's door and quickly announce they will donate 2 million doses. So childish. Dengki Ke? Open branch of Wuhan Institute in Viet Nam too lah.
QUOTE
https://www.businessinsider.com/china-undercuts-kamala-harris-1-million-vaccine-donation-to-vietnam-2021-8
John Haltiwanger
....Kamala Harris was on her way to Vietnam to donate 1 million COVID-19 vaccines when China took advantage of a scheduling delay, sent its diplomat to meet with the prime minister, and offered 2 million vaccines, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday....
UNQUOTE
when US was bombing the hell out of Vietnam, China sent billions in aid to Hanoi - let's not forget that
DeleteDon't forget u r talking to a genuflecting Yankee myrmidon!
DeleteLet’s not Forget….5000 yo Bullyland sent billions of aid to the Cruel and Zalim Khmer Rouge in the 70s as they were slaughtering millions of their own people in the Killing Fields.
DeleteAs they are now sending aid to the Cruel Myanmar military regime after they seized power from the democratically elected gomen of Aung San Su Kyi.
And I hope they will send aid to Taliban for the next 20 years (starting Sept 1,2021 ha ha ha). Don’t run away like you did in 1993 ya? Play Belt and Road with Taliban. They have changed, Pak Hadi said so. Our ex-Menteri Telly-Ban want to visit their country and teach Taliban why their women should be liberated. Don’t forget to bring your Sharia-compliant Hazmat suit ya ha ha ha.
"sent billions of aid to the Cruel and Zalim Khmer Rouge in the 70 …… the Cruel Myanmar military regime after they seized power from the democratically elected gomen of Aung San Su Kyi …… "
DeleteWakakakakaka…
What have u to substantiate these cesspool concentrates u dug up from that fart filled well?
DON'T forget the non-intereference doctrine of the China international interaction!
During the Taliban took over of Afghanistan in 1993, EVERY diplomatic missions represented in Kabul closed!
That's including yr uncle Sam & auntie pommie's!
So who runaway against?
The joint U.S. and British invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001 was to removed the Taliban.
Coming back with troops & allied supports ain't no diplomatic operation BUT bloody war commissioning in a foreign country. Yr uncle Sam was interfering in the domestic affairs of Afghanistan!
China didn't run away or return with the allied forces bcoz non-interference of other's domestic issues was/is China's declared policy!
Of Taliban could stabilize the sopo situation in Afghanistan this time round, bet yr fart filled well that BRI would bring hopes to the Afghans!
If Viet Nam and their "Old Enemy" who fought a war in the 60s and 70s can be fren fren today why are Bullylanders so Dengki? To them ASEAN is their "Backyard"?...where they throw their rubbish?
ReplyDelete5000 yo Bullylanders ask "Why not Kamala Harris visit Afghanistan instead?"
Please note the many times US Presidents, Congressmen, Senators and other top officials have visited Afghanistan over the last 20 years, despite the safety concerns there. Especially during Thanksgiving and Christmas, US Presidents have Roast Turkey with their brave soldiers who provide FREE bodyguard services to the entire country.
Has Original Mao, Deng Xioping or Modern Mao EVER visited Kabul or Baghram Airbase to celebrate Chinese New Year or Hari Raya?
Or they only know how to pompously Pontificate from the Great Hall of the People and welcome the Cruel Taliban to Beijing?
QUOTE (SCMP)
Kamala Harris’ Southeast Asia visit draws ire of Chinese netizens
The US vice-president’s trip has been picked apart on platforms such as Weibo, with many posts questioning why she was not in Afghanistan
Analysts say that while Singapore is looking to remain neutral, it backs Washington’s presence in the region – and Beijing is aware of that
Maria Siow
24 Aug, 2021
US Vice-President Kamala Harris’ bid to reassure Southeast Asia of Washington’s commitment to the region has been picked apart by Chinese netizens, many of whom have reacted negatively to her visit to the region.
Several users of Chinese social media platforms such as Weibo asked why Harris had not instead headed to Afghanistan to resolve the regional turmoil brought about by the withdrawal of American troops. Harris arrived in Singapore on Sunday night, and heads to Vietnam later on Tuesday.
“Why did she head to China’s backyard?” one posted, while another asked, without mentioning Singapore by name if it wanted to “be brothers with the Chinese or ... running dogs for the Americans?”
UNQUOTE
I feel sorry for Kamala - how could she have visited a country her military was supposed to defend but instead scurried away in the dark of the night, like rats - wakakaka
DeleteThe Chinese VIP had no interest to visit a place where the Russko &/or Yankee were playing Nero-styled fiddler when Afghanistan burnt!
DeleteSimple story for a blurred mfer, no?
In the 1970’s Afghanistan was a modern country. Many women were teachers, civil servants, broadcasters, etc. hardly any hijab or burka.
DeleteWhat life was like in Afghanistan in the 1970s – Politically Now
https://politicallynow.com/what-life-was-like-in-afghanistan-in-the-1970s/
In 1978 the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan overthrew the government of the Republic of Afghanistan which was headed by president Mohammed Daoud Khan to establish the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, a communist state which allied itself with the USSR.
From 1979 large-scale rebellions collectively known as the "Afghan mujahideen" rebelled against the government. Then Soviet troops intervened. During this time there was still no Islamic extremism.
To stop the expansion of communism, United States, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia supported the rebels. The CIA produced the book “ABC’s of Jihad” and US generously sponsored the setting up of religious schools to brainwash, instigate and train people into extremists to support the rebels. The Soviet Union eventually withdrew in 1989.
In 1994 the Taliban was born.
In 1996 Taliban took over Afghanistan. The Burka began, women cannot work and must not stay out of the house and the destruction of the Bamiyan Buddha statue.
On 7 October 2001 US invaded Afghanistan with the excuse to remove Taliban from power as they were hosting al-Qaeda militants, the main suspects of the September 11 attacks and the brief return of so called democracy but plenty of corruption.
2021 – US army sneaked out of Afghanistan.
Who created the monster Taliban?
After all is said and done, Afghanistan is not a vital strategic interest of USA nor a vital strategic interest of South East Asian countries.
ReplyDeleteSouth East Asian countries need the Yanks to balance against the Avaricious People's Republic of China's claims on their territorial seas right to their doorstep.
"the Avaricious People's Republic of China's claims on their territorial seas right to their doorstep"
DeleteWow…
Whose territorial sea rights have been taken?
Yrs?
What is Hilary's bitch doing in Vietnam ?
ReplyDeleteLand mine clearance ? Paying compensation to the victims of Agent Orange ? To sign the sorry book for all the atrocities committed there by Ameri~KKK~a ?
If Big Bully Hegemon thinks this sending of the ineffective VP to a communist country and announcing giving some doses of vaccine would distract the world its humiliation in Afghanistan, it has another think coming.
By the by, I ask for KT's indulgence to reply here to TongSampah's drivel re the thread on " China says US militaries must be held accountable got Afghanistan debacle." I was away and swamped with work then.
continue...
TongSampah : " Will 5000 yo Bullyland please address these Human Rights accusations which have long been unanswered.." bla bla bla
ReplyDeleteAs CK correctly replied..." keep digging " from unreliable, unverifiable infor sources.
TongSampah obviously had his fill of garbage 24/7 of the Western Corporate Media which never once have any positive report on China ever, and now with the Cold War in full swing, the stench of rotten rubbish from the Media Industrial Complex is overwhelming !
continue....
Let's just skim the surface for the monstrous human rights abuses by the US ( the full scope would take reams ! ) :
ReplyDelete# native American genocide
# Chinese Exclusion Act
#Japanese-American internment
#syphilis experiments on Guatemalans in the 1940s
#nuclear experiments on Marshall Islands inhabitants in the 1950s
#use of Agent Orange on Vietnamese civilians
#abuse and torture of Muslims at Guantanamo Bay
#PRISM mass surveillance as revealed by Edward Snowden
#unaffordable healthcare for the masses
#homelessness
#workers' exploitation
continue....
——The United States is the most violent country in the world. In 2019, there were 415 large-scale shootings, more than one per day on average; 39052 people died of gun related violence, and one person was shot every 15 minutes. USA Today commented that "the United States may have entered the era of mass shooting".
ReplyDelete——The United States has the most serious polarization between the rich and the poor in western countries. In 2018, the Gini coefficient climbed to 0.485, and the gap between the rich and the poor reached a new high in 50 years. The richest 10% of households account for nearly 75% of the total net worth of households in the United States. From 1989 to 2018, the bottom 50% of households' net wealth growth was basically zero.
——The United States is the only developed country where millions of people are hungry. According to the Census Bureau's 2018 statistics, there are 39.7 million poor people in the United States. At least half a million Americans are homeless every night. 65 million people gave up treatment because of high medical costs.
——The crime of racial hatred in the United States shocked the world. The return of white supremacy in the United States, the domestic terrorist activities in recent years are mostly related to the violence of white supremacy. 22 people were killed in the El Paso Wal Mart shooting. The white gunman's motive was racial hatred of Hispanics. According to the commentary, "the United States has been in a crisis of white supremacy terrorism".
ReplyDelete——There are frequent cases of shooting and cruel treatment of African Americans by the police. African American adults are 5.9 times more likely to be imprisoned than white adults. The UN Special Rapporteur pointed out that this large-scale imprisonment is the result of slavery and apartheid.
——The racial gap between employment and wealth is striking. In the past 40 years, the unemployment rate of African American workers has been twice that of white workers. The average wealth of white families is almost 10 times that of African American families. On the current trend, it will take more than 200 years for African American families to accumulate the wealth that white families now have.
——Religious intolerance continues to deteriorate. According to the Pew Research Center survey, 82% of respondents believe that Muslims face discrimination in the United States, and 64% believe that Jews face discrimination in the United States. In 2018, extremists caused 249 anti Semitic incidents. According to the UN report, there is an extremely violent anti Semitism in the United States.
ReplyDelete——The United States is the most dangerous country for women in high-income countries. 92% of the women shot in high-income countries are from the United States, which is 21 times more likely than other high-income countries. On average, 52 women in the United States are shot to death by their partners every month. Up to 70% of American women have experienced physical or sexual violence from close partners.
——The problem of children's poverty is shocking. There are still 12.8 million children living in poverty in the United States, with 3.5 million under five children living in poverty, 1.6 million of them living in extreme poverty. "In the wealthiest countries in the world, more than a fifth of children still have to face the brutal reality of what
——Poverty among the elderly is becoming more and more serious. In the United States, one out of every 12 people over the age of 60 lacks enough food, a total of 5.5 million. About 40% of the American middle class will approach or fall into poverty by the age of 65.
ReplyDelete——The US government is increasingly harsh and inhumane towards immigrants. The "zero tolerance" policy has led to the separation of a large number of children from their families. Since July 2017, immigration authorities have separated more than 5400 children from their parents at the border. Since 2018, a total of 24 immigrants, including seven children, have died while in detention at border shelters in the United States.
——The United States is "the most belligerent country in the history of the world". Since 2001, the United States has been waging wars against foreign countries, spending more than $6.4 trillion in fiscal expenditure, causing more than 800000 deaths and tens of millions of people displaced.
How many refugees does your beloved People's Republic of China accept ?
Delete0.000
WHY should China accept the current Afghanistan 'refugees' crowding at the Kabul airport?
DeleteOld moneyed mfer, they r the people who had worked with those uninvited western military forces within Afghanistan!
Who's bloody obligation to 'save' these carpetbaggers?
Note I called them both Bully’s. But whatever 500 yo Bully did, 5000 yo Bully did 10 times longer.
ReplyDeleteWakakakakaka…
DeleteBesides yr know-nothing rhetorics of fart, u called both Bully bcoz u need one to stage against the other!
Otherwise there wouldn't be any comparison for yr f*cked c&p past time!