Harris' record suggests she would prioritize the Indo-Pacific, CFR political scientist says

• The DNC's 2024 platform recently sparked speculation that U.S. foreign policy under a Harris administration might pivot from the Indo-Pacific to Europe.
• However, according to CFR's Rush Doshi, the Vice President's track record shows deep involvement and prioritization of the region.

Vice President Kamala Harris would likely prioritize countering China and strengthening partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region if she were to win the White House, according to American political scientist Rush Doshi. 

As pundits speculate on what a Harris administration would look like, a recently released Democratic National Committee policy platform has garnered attention for featuring Europe at the top of its chapter on foreign affairs. 

However, speaking to CNBC's "Squawk Box Asia" on Wednesday, Doshi warned against interpreting the platform as a pivot from the Indo-Pacific to Europe. 

"People shouldn't read too much into the order in which things appear in the platform ... If you look at the record that Vice President Harris has as a senator and vice president, it shows pretty deep investment, involvement, engagement, and focus on the Indo-Pacific," said Doshi, senior fellow for Asia studies and China Strategy Initiative director at the Council on Foreign Relations.

On Sunday, the DNC released the 2024 policy platform document ahead of its convention. But the document was written and voted on before President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and contains several references to a "second Biden term." 

For insight into Harris' position on the Indo-Pacific, Doshi instead suggested taking into account the policymaker's past work there.

"She pushed some of the most important legislation on China," he said, highlighting her co-sponsorship of