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Vice President Kamala Harris called out China during a speech she made at a U.S. Naval base in Japan on Wednesday, accusing the Asian superpower of “disturbing” activity towards Taiwan.
Harris arrived at United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka – a U.S. Naval base – and toured the USS Howard before addressing Navy personnel that afternoon.
After applauding the work of the U.S. Navy, the vice president launched into a heated rebuke of Chinese military actions. Harris accused the Asian superpower of “undermining” international rules-based order with its acts of aggression against Taiwan.
“China has challenged freedom of the seas. China has flexed its military and economic might to coerce and intimidate its neighbors,” the vice president said.
VP KAMALA HARRIS ATTENDS FORMER JAPANESE PM SHINZO ABE’S STATE FUNERAL IN TOKYO
US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks to the media onboard USS Howard at the naval base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture on September 28, 2022.
(LEAH MILLIS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
“And we have witnessed disturbing behavior in the East China Sea and in the South China Sea, and most recently, provocations across the Taiwan Strait,” she added.
During the speech, Harris briefly alluded to America’s role in ensuring “peace and stability” in the region, saying that Washington will continue to support Taiwan.
“The United States believes that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is an essential feature of a free and open Indo-Pacific,” the vice president said. “We will continue to fly, sail, and operate, undaunted and unafraid, wherever and whenever international law allows.”
“We will continue to support Taiwan’s self-defense, consistent with our long-standing policy,” she attested, calling Taiwan a “vibrant” democracy that “contributes to the global good.”
US Vice President Kamala Harris is greeted by members of the military at the naval Base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture on September 28, 2022.
(LEAH MILLIS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
“The United States is a proud Pacific power. The American people have a profound stake in the future of this region. And we will continue to promote an Indo-Pacific that is free and open, connected, secure and resilient,” Harris concluded.
The speech came as Harris’s trip to Japan nears an end. Harris is scheduled to visit the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating North and South Korea on Thursday.
US Vice President Kamala Harris is briefed by members of the US Navy in the combat information center (CIC) onboard the USS Howard at the naval base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture on September 28, 2022.
(LEAH MILLIS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
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Harris’s trip to the DMZ prompted backlash from American conservatives, who accuse her of avoiding addressing the migrant crisis at the US-Mexico border.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital about the backlash.
