20240807 Cover US elections and implications for Asia img

Vice President Kamala Harris' jump to the top of the Democratic Party's 2024 presidential election ticket caught many Washington diplomats off guard. While they weigh whether she will extend President Joe Biden's current Asia policies, they must also prepare for the prospect of a new, unpredictable term for former President Donald Trump. © Reuters

Harris takes on Trump: Asia braces as U.S. heads toward poll

As diplomats weigh policy hints, VP picks Walz and Vance vie for working class votes

KEN MORIYASU, Nikkei Asia diplomatic correspondent

August 7, 2024 06:00 JST

WASHINGTON -- For diplomats stationed in the U.S. capital, it comes with the territory -- a duty to scrutinize American politics and alert their governments to shifts in power and the personalities guiding the world's largest economy and strongest military force.

In a U.S. presidential election year, like 2024, the task is all the more acute. The latest twist: Where does Democrat nominee Kamala Harris' newly minted running mate Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, named to the ticket on Aug. 6, stand on Asian affairs, from China trade tensions to defending Taiwan and the South China Sea, while confronting North Korean military threats?