United States Vice President Kamala Harris will visit Palawan—the first time for a US vice president—during her trip to the Philippines, in a move that aims to prove the Western superpower’s support for the Philippines in upholding rules-based international maritime order in the South China Sea.

In a briefing on Wednesday morning (Manila time), a senior administration official of the White House said Harris will be in the island province on November 22 or on her second day in the country. She will be the highest US government official to set foot in Palawan.

There, she will engage with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to underscore the importance of international law, unimpeded commerce and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. That all was part of the Vice President’s efforts to uphold international rules and norms around the world, the official said.

“This visit demonstrates the [US President Joe] Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to stand with our Philippine ally in upholding the rules-based international maritime order in the South China Sea, stupporting maritime livelihoods, and countering illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing,” he said.

Palawan is one of the closest Philippine islands to the South China Sea, which is also being claimed by China.

Harris’ visit will come after the strained relationship between the US and China seemed to have cooled down after Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s meeting at the G20 Summit in Indonesia.

But according to the White House official, the Vice President’s bid to visit the province will only start the “motion of getting outside the capital” because she “feels very strongly about getting outside of government buildings.”

She also wants to engage “directly with people who often don’t get to interact with high-ranking U.S. officials,” he added.

In Palawan, the official said, Harris will have a chance to meet with local communities and fisher communities impacted by the climate crisis and environmental challenges.

She will also highlight what the US is doing “with the Philippines in that space, but also to highlight the perils and risks to locals from illegal and unreported fishing, which is another thing that threatens their livelihoods,” he added.

By going to Palawan, the official also said Harris will “demonstrate our support and solidarity for the rule of law, maritime law.”

“The Vice President feels strongly about and has highlighted on a number of her trips throughout the Indo-Pacific the importance of freedom of navigation, freedom of commerce. And that is, obviously, highly relevant in the South China Sea and in and around Palawan as well,” he said.

The official said the visit will give Harris the opportunity “to do all of those things, standing with our Philippine ally.”

Source:
courtesy of MANILA BULLETIN

by Joseph Pedrajas

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