CNA – Singapore and other ASEAN member states are not “disinterested bystanders” in ongoing tensions between the United States (US) and China, said Singapore’s Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen (CNA, pic below) yesterday.
Speaking to reporters on the third and final day of the Shangri-La Dialogue, Dr Ng added that Singapore and ASEAN have “a vested interest” in making sure that communication lines between the two superpowers are good.
The US and China do not want physical conflict but recognise they are a long way from an acceptable state of affairs, he noted.
Reiterating comments he had made to the media on Saturday after a ministerial lunch, Dr Ng said that lines of communication are especially vital between potential adversaries. “I think it’s like Formula 1 drivers on the same circuit, driving blindfolded. You better be careful – and bystanders, too,” he cautioned.
Dr Ng described US-China relations as being the “elephant in the room” at this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue – Asia’s top defence summit which is in its 20th edition this year. He said that Singapore’s bilateral meetings were “very warm” but there were concerns about where the US-China relationship was headed, as well as the Ukraine conflict.
“So there is no shortage of insight or will that some problems are just too big – even for many countries to come together, without the US and China coming together,” Dr Ng pointed out.
“They’re the first and second largest economies. You can’t solve any problem without both of them coming into solution-making or finding a path forward.”
He noted that Singapore’s neighbours – including Malaysia and Indonesia – have found ways to deconflict with Singapore.
But all countries, as well as American and Chinese leaders, are concerned about the deactivation of “guardrails” to keep the US and China from conflict, he added.
“And when you talk about the two largest economic and military powers, that’s not a good position,” Dr Ng said.
In a plenary speech yesterday, Dr Ng listed examples of how American and Chinese officials had conducted regular exchanges at all levels “as recent as a decade ago”. The US’ and China’s defence ministers last visited each other countries in 2018.
Dr Ng told reporters: “People can forget that they were at that, and I think that’s something that you can aspire to.
“I can assure you, if you put soldiers of two militaries together, they will click… it takes time. That’s the building of relationships. So we want (the US and China) to have that kind of relationship and we are confident that over time they will establish that.”
“We’re just observers, but we’re not disinterested bystanders as I said. We have a vested interest to make sure that the US-China communication lines are good.”
