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‘A better bet’: Asia backs Kamala Harris over more Trump turmoil in US presidential race
Many in Asia see Harris as a safer choice for navigating complex US-China relations, as ex-president Donald Trump grows ever more erratic
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As Kamala Harris enters the final weeks of campaigning for November’s US presidential election, she has seized a narrow lead in the polls, momentarily dimming the prospects of a Donald Trump comeback. In a race too close to call, Harris’ slight advantage has ignited hope among Asia’s policymakers and businesses for a future administration in Washington that favours continuity over chaos.
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A second Trump presidency would almost guarantee the latter, given his well-documented volatility and habit of proclaiming often unworkable tariffs on imports. Experts warn the ex-president’s unpredictability poses significant risks for Asia and the global economy during a precarious period.
Harris, by contrast, is widely seen as the continuity candidate. She’s expected to carry forward the policies of her would-be predecessor, current Democratic President Joe Biden, including his tough stance on China – focusing on trade, the South China Sea and semiconductors, in particular.
Biden himself imposed a new set of steep tariffs on a range of Chinese imports earlier this year and Harris is forecast to maintain these – though she is not expected to implement the blanket 10 per cent tariffs on all imports that Trump has proposed.
Instead, her approach may strike a more nuanced balance between America’s strategic rivalry with China and its economic ties across the rest of Asia.
“I think her China policy would broadly replicate that of the Biden administration,” said Joshua Kurlantzick, a senior fellow for Southeast Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations in the United States.
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