WASHINGTON -- For diplomats stationed in the U.S. capital, it comes with the territory -- a duty to scrutinize American politics and alert their governments to shifts in power and the personalities guiding the world's largest economy and strongest military force.
In a U.S. presidential election year, like 2024, the task is all the more acute. The latest twist: Where does Democrat nominee Kamala Harris' newly minted running mate Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, named to the ticket on Aug. 6, stand on Asian affairs, from China trade tensions to defending Taiwan and the South China Sea, while confronting North Korean military threats?