Harris Visiting Southeast Asia: "China's South China Sea Sovereignty Claims Are Illegal"

Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States
[Photo by AP]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States, who embarked on a Southeast Asia tour, criticized China's territorial claims in the South China Sea on the 24th as "illegal claims."

According to major foreign media on the 24th, Vice President Harris said in Singapore on the same day, "China continues to assert that most of the South China Sea is its territory through coercion and intimidation."

He stated, "China's illegal claims were not recognized in the 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), but China has since undermined the rules-based order and threatened national sovereignty."

He added, "The United States will stand with its allies and partners against these threats," emphasizing, "U.S. engagement in Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific is not to oppose or choose sides against any one country."

This tour is Vice President Harris's second overseas trip since taking office. On the day, he will head to Vietnam from Singapore. This is the first time a U.S. vice president has visited Vietnam.