Today, Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Vietnam where she continued to advance the Biden-Harris administration’s strategic and economic interests in Southeast Asia. In her remarks, she highlighted action on climate change, reaffirmed our nation’s values and commitment to the rule of law, worker rights, and human rights, and defended the rules-based order in the region. Thanks to the leadership of President Biden and Vice President Harris, the United States is back and respected on the world stage.

Vice President Harris is strengthening our relationships with our partners in the region and took a strong stance to hold China accountable.

• Associated Press: “Vice President Kamala Harris called on Vietnam to join the U.S. in challenging China’s ‘bullying’ in the South China Sea, continuing her sharp rhetoric against Beijing as she met with Vietnamese leaders on Wednesday.”
• Fox Business: “Vice President Kamala Harris took a strong stance against aggressive Chinese action in the South China Sea as the Biden administration continues reviewing the U.S.-China trade policy.”
• Bloomberg: “Vice President Kamala Harris urged countries in the region to apply more pressure on China in a meeting with Vietnam’s president, stepping up her criticism of Beijing on a visit to Asia.”

Vice President Harris continued to demonstrate our leadership on the world stage and announced that the U.S. would donate an additional 1 million vaccines to Vietnam.

• Bloomberg: “Harris said the U.S. wants to upgrade its relationship with Vietnam to a strategic partnership, and said the Biden administration strongly supports the former U.S. adversary’s request for a third former U.S. Coast Guard cutter. Harris also said the U.S. would donate an additional 1 million Pfizer vaccines to Vietnam, which would start arriving within the next 24 hours, bringing the total to 6 million so far.”