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

Reading Time:5 minutes

99+

US Vice-President Kamala Harris visits the orchid that was named after her at Gardens by the Bay in Singapore on Tuesday. Photo: AFP

Published: 9:45am, 24 Aug 2021Updated: 1:49pm, 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?”

Asked at a daily press briefing on Monday about Harris’ visit, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said: “China always holds that exchanges between countries should be conducive to promoting mutual trust, and peace and stability in the region and the world at large”.

With Chinese state media and diplomats continuously highlighting how the chaotic US pull-out of Afghanistan is a sign that it cannot be trusted by allies and partners in Europe and Asia, Chinese netizens also poured scorn on Washington’s claims that it is committed to the region, saying the US had made “countless promises in the past that it had not kept” and that Harris is in the region “to stir up trouble and sow discord”.

Others, citing a well-known Chinese idiom, suggested it was clear Harris had undertaken the trip so as to garner support to counter Beijing’s influence in the region.

“The heart of Sima Zhao is known to everyone”, they posted – a reference to a military general during China’s Three Kingdoms period (AD220-280) whose ambitions were said to be so stark that they were apparent to all observers.