‘Saigon’ stalks Harris on trip amid chaos in Kabul

HANOI — US Vice-President Kamala Harris began a visit to Vietnam on Wednesday aimed at stressing the United States’ commitment to Asia but which critics say exemplifies a tone-deaf touch from the administration given the parallels with the superpower’s evacuations from Kabul and what was then Saigon.

In Hanoi, Harris met Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

She embraced a call to elevate the relationship with Vietnam from a comprehensive partnership to a strategic partnership, a diplomatic designation that would reflect the deepening relationship between the two former foes.

Harris is steering clear of Saigon comparisons and on Wednesday she was seeking to shift the focus from the historical parallels and emphasize Washington’s commitment to Southeast Asia.

Her arrival was delayed due to what US officials called an “anomalous health incident” in Hanoi, an apparent reference to the so-called Havana syndrome that has afflicted US diplomats in several countries.

It is not clear what causes the syndrome and it has led to unproven allegations that someone used sonic or other high-intensity electronic devices to physically harm US diplomats.

Harris’ visit, the first to Vietnam by a sitting US vice-president, came after a two-day stop in Singapore, where Harris took aim at China and sought to shore up US credibility in the wake of the Taliban’s stunning return to power.

But the Vietnam leg of the Asian tour has sparked criticism after the chaotic evacuation of Kabul prompted comparisons with the trauma of 1975 Saigon, when US helicopters in the last days of the Vietnam War ferried final evacuees from the embassy roof in the city now called Ho Chi Minh City.

Harris used a speech in Singapore to accuse Beijing of alleged “intimidation” in its interactions with neighbors.

China hit back at Harris, saying the Afghan debacle was an example of selfish US foreign policy and accusing Washington of bullying.

Harris is the latest top official from US President Joe Biden’s team to visit the region as Washington seeks to reassure allies of its steadfastness.

Doubts cast

But events in Kabul have cast doubts on US claims of reliability.

Pham Quang Vinh, Vietnam’s former ambassador to the US, told Agence France-Presse that his country was watching events in Kabul closely. “The US has recommitted itself now to this region but if something happens in Afghanistan again, for example if terrorism comes back, ... will the US continue to focus here?” he said.

The US-China relationship has deteriorated over a range of issues from cybersecurity and trade conflict to human rights.

Vietnam has sought to forge its own path between the two leading countries. On Tuesday, the Vietnamese prime minister met the Chinese ambassador and stressed that Hanoi would not “align with one country against another”.