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Kamala Harris's seven-day tour to Singapore and Vietnam is part of a broader US strategy to take on China

US Vice President Kamala Harris wrapped up a weeklong trip to Southeast Asia in Vietnam on Thursday, saying she had pressed Vietnamese leaders on human rights issues and crackdowns on political dissent 

Harris, the first sitting vice president to visit Vietnam, said the US was not going "to shy away from difficult conversations" at a news conference in Hanoi.

"Difficult conversations often must be had with the people that you otherwise may have a partnership with," Harris said. 

During her visit to Vietnam, Harris participated in what her team called a "changemakers" event, meeting with civil society activists working on LGBTQ rights and climate change.

She added it was important to take on challenges collaboratively and to empower leaders in the region.

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