Kamala Harris tipped to keep Biden’s foreign policy team in place – at least at first
- The vice-president’s relative lack of foreign policy experience might prevent any sudden change towards China, according to one analyst
Li Cheng argued that because the vice-president “does not have a strong foreign policy background” she was likely to continue the current China policy in the early days of her presidency and may look to make changes after a few months in the White House.
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Joe Biden quits US presidential race to endorse VP Kamala Harris
“She will rely on the key foreign advisers like [Secretary of State Antony] Blinken. If she becomes president, there will be some important personnel changes, [by then] you will know her China policy much better,” said Li, who is the founding director of the University of Hong Kong’s Centre on Contemporary China and the World.
Since Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the presidential race and endorsed Harris on Sunday, a number of Democratic Party heavyweights – including former House speaker Nancy Pelosi and Hillary and Bill Clinton – have thrown their support behind her candidacy. She also raised more than US$81 million in funding within 24 hours, although Barack Obama has yet to give his endorsement.
Li, who used to head the Brookings Institution’s John L. Thornton China Centre in Washington, said Harris had an “80 or 90 per cent” chance of securing the Democratic nomination.
He predicted Harris would continue with the current policy of supporting US regional allies in the Indo-Pacific while looking to avoid further escalation with Beijing.