If Kamala Harris becomes president of the United States, she will enter with a long record of positions on American foreign policy, defined by her time as a senator during Donald Trump’s presidency and as vice president in the Joe Biden administration.
Harris is expected to continue her strong support for the war effort in Ukraine, and continue to strengthen alliances in the Asia-Pacific to counter China’s geopolitical rise.
It will also continue to provide strong support for Israel and U.S. allies in the Middle East.
But on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Harris may be more sympathetic to the plight of Palestinians, which could ease anger among Arab-American voters and others who criticize Biden’s strong support for the Israeli war effort in Gaza.
Do you have enough experience?
Before becoming a senator, Harris spent most of her career in law enforcement.
Harris came into the vice presidency with relatively little foreign policy experience, leaving her to rely on her advisers, who are largely traditional, according to Jim Townsend, a former Pentagon and NATO official who spoke to Politico.
Harris “doesn’t really have a background in defense or foreign policy, so she really relies on her advisers,” Townsend said.
Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee who has endorsed Biden’s successor, said Harris’s representation of Biden in Munich proves she is ready for the world stage.
“Harris was the administration’s main spokesperson at the Munich Security Conference, where she defended our role in Ukraine, NATO and the world, and she was really strong,” Smith said.
Harris’s time under Biden was also an added bonus, supporters say, as she has bolstered her skills and understanding of foreign affairs, meeting with more than 150 foreign leaders.
Biden is considered an experienced foreign policy expert, and was keen to represent the United States as a leading power in the world, which provided Harris with an opportunity to gain some skills in dealing with international issues.
The Middle East
Harris was clear in her support for Israel’s right to defend itself, but stressed the importance of protecting innocent civilians. This careful balance may be key to winning broader support at home and abroad.
As a senator, Harris has expressed less hawkish sentiments than Biden about the U.S. military presence in the Middle East.
Some of its tough stances, including toward Saudi Arabia, India and Turkey, could complicate its interactions with its allies in the Middle East and Asia, according to American experts.
On the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Harris, while a senator, expressed her support for the two-state solution and supported the Abraham Accords.
When she became Biden’s running mate, Harris privately expressed that the Biden administration needed to take a stronger stance against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the rising death toll of Palestinian civilians in Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Harris emerged as one of the first prominent leaders in the Biden administration to call for an immediate temporary ceasefire in March.
Harris delivered her strongest rebuke of Israel’s handling of aid flows into the Gaza Strip, calling the conflict a “humanitarian catastrophe” for innocent civilians.
However, Harris also has strong ties to the Jewish community in the United States. Her husband, Doug Emhoff, is Jewish and has played a prominent role as a liaison to the American Jewish community, speaking out about the Biden administration’s efforts to combat anti-Semitism.
On the Iran file, Harris supported the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action agreement with Iran to curb Tehran’s nuclear program.
Harris condemned the January 2020 military strike on top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and co-sponsored unsuccessful legislation to prevent further military action against Iranian leaders and targets.
Soleimani was an enemy of the US, but President Trump’s actions put more American lives at risk and could lead to a new war in the Middle East — with no plan for what happens next. The Administration must fully brief and make its case to Congress ASAP.
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) January 3, 2020
When Israel came under attack by Iranian drones and missiles in April, Harris stressed America’s “unwavering” support for Israel’s security.
“We stand with the people of Israel in defending themselves against these attacks,” she said in a post on social media.
On Saudi Arabia, Harris has joined progressives on legislation restricting arms sales and military aid to Riyadh over its role in the Yemeni civil war and the killing of Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.
Harris supported legislation to commemorate the Armenian genocide, which has been a source of tension between NATO members Turkey and Armenia for a century.
China and Asia
Harris is expected to continue the Biden administration’s tough China policy, focusing on reducing economic dependence on Beijing and promoting human rights in Hong Kong. She has also voiced clear support for Taiwan in the face of Chinese threats.
“We know that Beijing continues to coerce, intimidate and claim the vast majority of the South China Sea,” Harris said in a speech during a seven-day trip to Singapore and Vietnam in 2021.
“Beijing’s actions continue to undermine the rules-based order and threaten the sovereignty of states,” she added, stressing that the United States “stands with our allies and partners in confronting these threats.”
Harris’ visit to Singapore, a close US ally that hosts a major US naval base in Southeast Asia, follows visits to Asia by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
The Biden administration has been keen to reassure Asian allies concerned about China’s assertive policies in the region, especially in the wake of the chaotic US military withdrawal from Afghanistan.
As a senator, Harris criticized Trump’s approach to Beijing, telling Vice President Mike Pence during the 2020 vice presidential debate that Trump “lost that trade war.”
She said at the time that the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration were hurting the US economy without rebalancing US-China relations.
But Harris has been a consistent advocate for confronting the Chinese threat, with an emphasis on reducing the extent to which Western economies depend on China.
If Harris wins the US presidency, she is likely to continue unofficial support for Taiwan, especially in the wake of growing Chinese military threats.
In September 2022, Harris affirmed that the United States “will continue to support Taiwan’s self-defense, consistent with our long-standing policy.”
Since becoming vice president, Harris has spoken with both Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.
Harris said she met with Xi on the sidelines of the APEC leaders’ meeting in 2022 where she urged him to “maintain open lines of communication to responsibly manage competition between our two countries.”
Harris criticized China’s continued harassment of Philippine ships in Manila waters in the South China Sea during a visit to the Philippines in 2022.
During that trip, Harris visited an island off the coast of China where the Chinese Coast Guard regularly threatens Philippine supply missions to its military outpost.
As a Senator, Harris regularly introduced or co-sponsored bipartisan legislation to advance human rights in Myanmar.
Harris criticized the Trump administration for not doing enough to curb North Korea’s nuclear threats.
Although her mother is of Indian descent, Harris criticized the Indian government while she was a senator.
But relations between Harris and Narendra Modi’s government appear to have improved, with Modi praising Harris during a state visit to Washington in 2023.
NATO and the Ukraine War
Harris has repeatedly emphasized the United States’ unwavering commitment to NATO and has strongly supported Ukrainian efforts to repel Russian aggression.
This support is expected to continue under her leadership if she is elected US president, with a focus on strengthening the United States’ traditional alliances in Europe and Asia.
Earlier this year, she pledged that the United States would support Ukraine’s fight “for as long as it takes.”
At the 2022 Munich Security Conference, Harris said the United States has an “unwavering commitment to NATO and the alliance.”
The meeting came as Russia massed hundreds of thousands of troops along the Ukrainian border, just days before launching its full-scale invasion.
“America’s commitment to Article 5 is ironclad,” Harris said in 2022, referring to the NATO charter’s mutual defense clause that calls for an attack on one member to be treated as an attack on all. “That commitment is sacred to me, to President Biden, and to our entire nation,” she said.
The Future of American Leadership
As vice president, Harris has drawn on President Biden’s foreign policy experience and built strong relationships with foreign leaders.
If elected, Harris will seek to continue these efforts, with a focus on building strong alliances and enhancing the United States’ role on the world stage.
Harris has stepped in as a surrogate for the president at several global gatherings. She attended the 2023 ASEAN Summit and the annual Munich Security Conference in 2022 and 2023, where she showed support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the face of Russian aggression.
This distinguished role has strengthened her position as a global leader ready to take on more responsibilities.
Biden announced on Sunday his withdrawal from the presidential race for the November elections, after Democratic leaders questioned his health capabilities and called on him to withdraw, fearing losing to the Republican candidate, Donald Trump.
Following his withdrawal, Biden announced his support for Harris’ nomination as the Democratic Party’s candidate for the presidential election.
“I would like to offer my full support and endorsement to Kamala to be our party’s nominee this year. Democrats, it’s time to work together and defeat Trump. Let’s do this,” he said on his X page.
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