Harris v Trump: Who is better for Asia?

With the US presidential election approaching on Nov 5, US bureau chief Bhagyashree Garekar and The Straits Times' bureaus in Asia explore the impact on trade and security in the region under a prospective Harris or second Trump administration.

- Reporting by Mara Cepeda in Manila, Nirmala Ganapathy in New Delhi, Shannon Teoh in Kuala Lumpur, Walter Sim in Tokyo, Wendy Teo in Seoul and Yew Lun Tian in Singapore.

WASHINGTON - Just four days after the 47th American president moves into the White House in 2025, a pair of VIPs from China will begin receiving a stream of excited visitors.

The much-awaited debut of the giant pandas on Jan 24 at Washington's Smithsonian National Zoo, where they are now under quarantine, could hardly be timed better.

The furry emblems of China's soft power have charmed Americans since the Nixon years, but the bar is higher for the guileless Bao Li and Qing Bao. The relationship between the two great powers has frayed to the point of breakage. And most of their Asian partners, bound to both countries through trade and security, wonder if it is all only downhill from now.

Expectations are low, no matter who wins the deadlocked Nov 5 election, but it would seem that Asia cautiously views Vice-President Kamala Harris as the better option.

Former president Donald Trump's second stint could come with massive tariff hikes and another trade war, with severe consequences for China-centric manufacturing networks across Asia. His wish for a weaker US dollar could weaken South-east Asian exports. And the pressure on Asean nations to choose sides in the China-US rivalry could escalate quickly as Trump prioritizes competition with China.

Ms Harris may walk further along the more predictable path laid by President Joe Biden. She will likely target for sanctions on a select, but growing, number of industries deemed critical to US economic security. Her consultative, multilateral approach will at least feel less abrasive.

But neither candidate packs policies that can be viewed as ideal, said Asian and American officials, diplomats, businesses and think tankers in interviews with The Straits Times.