The Trump-Harris Debate Ignored Asia/China, and That’s Bad News

The most recent presidential debate failed to address U.S. foreign policy toward Asia substantively. Even the most crucial issue—U.S.-China relations—was barely mentioned. The only reference to China regarded the competition to develop a domestic semiconductor chip industry and tariffs on Chinese goods. In contrast, other vital issues in Asia, such as the South China Sea, U.S.-India relations, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, and North Korea, were overlooked entirely. There was little discussion about the growing possibility of a dangerous U.S.-China interaction in the South China Sea or how the United States is working to build stronger alliances and partnerships in South and Southeast Asia, starting with the Philippines, a key ally.

The increasingly tense situation around Taiwan, the growing U.S. commitment to Taiwan, and Taiwan’s closer ties to other U.S. partners in the region, such as Japan, were not discussed. This oversight is notable given that Trump has previously expressed disdain for Taiwan and criticized its semiconductor industry. There was also no substantial discussion of the efforts to block China from accessing high-end chips, China’s burgeoning AI industry, industrial competition, or China’s increasingly close ties with Russia and the informal yet emerging authoritarian nexus between them. Additionally, the debate omitted North Korea’s extreme belligerence, continued attempts to develop advanced technology, and supply of weaponry to repressive states like Myanmar and Russia.

Moreover, the debate did not address the significant backsliding in rights and democracy across Asia. The increasingly repressive atmosphere in autocratic states like China and the erosion of democratic norms in countries like Indonesia, coupled with China’s use of transnational influence and repression, pose critical challenges to U.S. policy in the region.

Yes, this was just one debate, and in earlier times, there would have been multiple debates, often with one dedicated solely to foreign policy. That was not the case this time. Since there will not be another debate, and this one lasted only ninety minutes, some of these oversights seem particularly significant.