The South China Sea is a major flash point between Beijing and several Southeast Asian countries. Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam have all accused China of building and fortifying artificial islands in the area and sending vessels to intimidate their militaries and those who fish.
After Ms. Harris met with Mr. Lee in a closed-door meeting on Monday at the Istana, the presidential palace of Singapore, the vice president’s office announced a series of agreements to address climate change, cybersecurity and the pandemic. The two nations also agreed to increase information sharing on cybersecurity threats to financial markets, cooperate on identifying coronavirus variants and convene industry executives to address supply-chain issues, including a global shortage of semiconductors that are used to build cars and computers that has been a point of concern for the Biden administration.
Understand the Taliban Takeover in Afghanistan
Card 1 of 5Who are the Taliban? The Taliban arose in 1994 amid the turmoil that came after the withdrawal of Soviet forces from Afghanistan in 1989. They used brutal public punishments, including floggings, amputations and mass executions, to enforce their rules. Here’s more on their origin story and their record as rulers.
Who are the Taliban leaders? These are the top leaders of the Taliban, men who have spent years on the run, in hiding, in jail and dodging American drones. Little is known about them or how they plan to govern, including whether they will be as tolerant as they claim to be.
How did the Taliban gain control? See how the Taliban retook power in Afghanistan in a few months, and read about how their strategy enabled them to do so.
What happens to the women of Afghanistan? The last time the Taliban were in power, they barred women and girls from taking most jobs or going to school. Afghan women have made many gains since the Taliban were toppled, but now they fear that ground may be lost. Taliban officials are trying to reassure women that things will be different, but there are signs that, at least in some areas, they have begun to reimpose the old order.
What does their victory mean for terrorist groups? The United States invaded Afghanistan 20 years ago in response to terrorism, and many worry that Al Qaeda and other radical groups will again find safe haven there.
Curtis S. Chin, the former United States ambassador to the Asian Development Bank from 2007 to 2011, said those commitments only went so far.
“It’s, of course, an important symbolic trip, but the reality is that what’s more important than these trips is what happens in between,” Mr. Chin said. “That’s why to me what happened in Afghanistan is so important because the reality of U.S. behavior undercuts the rhetoric of U.S. behavior.”
Mr. Chin added, “Our rhetoric is: ‘We are here for a long time. We are steadfast in our engagement.’ The reality is, as Asia well knows from Vietnam to Afghanistan, that rhetoric and reality often do not match.”
Ms. Harris stumbled on rhetoric alone during her first overseas trip, to Guatemala and Mexico, which had been meant to address the factors pushing migrants to flee to the United States, but was instead marred by domestic politics. Her efforts to defend institutions in Central America that aim to root out corruption — one factor pushing vulnerable families to migrate to the United States in record-high numbers — was overshadowed by her fumbled answers on whether she would visit the U.S.-Mexico border.