Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: Mr Chairman, that the rivalry between Washington and Beijing is becoming more and more serious is undeniable, as are other points of friction in East Asia and beyond. The Prime Minister discussed it. One of the Deputy Prime Ministers also raised the issue on several occasions. Competition among major powers is a common feature of their relations.
Well managed, they can spur innovation and grow within stable and predictable parameters. If not, contestation can prompt friction, tension, instability, unpredictability and an extreme conflict. A key element of US-China ties today is marked by the US and its allies on one side, China and its partners on the other.
Contentiousness is growing in the arc from the Korean Peninsula and the Sea of Japan, through the East Asia Sea, the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. Ships and aircraft are challenging established norms and interpretations of international law, even as these areas are seeing greater militarisation. In the process, ships and aircraft from different sides are increasingly emboldened, or perhaps ordered to adopt riskier manoeuvres. There have been collisions and near collisions.
Left unattended, current developments could spell greater instability in the region, perhaps even crisis and confrontation. Of course, no one expects Singapore to do anything about the increasingly tense regional atmosphere on our own. That said, it is in Singapore’s interest to work with various partners to encourage better management of tensions before they get worse and more difficult to contain.
Could the Minister explain to this House and the public the efforts that MFA is undertaking towards this end? What is the MFA doing to work with fellow ASEAN members and other partners to reduce the growing risk? As a smaller actor, Singapore may have to be a price taker to conditions created by others, but we have the benefits of agility and relative unity given our size. We also have friends and partners.
How does MFA propose that we use these advantages to secure Singapore and protect our interests in a more uncertain and tumultuous time? This may be a test of our wisdom and capability. In the event differences among the different sides should escalate, how does MFA propose that Singapore mitigate the elevated risk that may result? Pressure from various parties and major powers is likely to mount on Singapore under these circumstances.
They will come externally and may even emerge internally. The public needs to understand this risk, be prepared for a response and be ready to support it, including accepting the cost mitigation efforts which may entail and what might these be.
The Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (Ms Sim Ann): Mr Vikram Nair and Mr Dennis Tan spoke about intensifying US-China competition. The US-China relationship is the most consequential one in the world and one that we are watching closely. As partners with both, we are heartened to see that their relations have improved over the past few months. We expect that tensions between the two countries will persist for some time and competition will be inevitable to some degree.
But this does not mean that the entire relationship has to be zero-sum. There are still many areas, where both sides can work together for mutual benefit and for the global good. This could include climate change, macroeconomic stability, global health and food security. It could also extend to emerging areas – like AI governance and safety.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
29 February 2024
https://sprs.parl.gov.sg/search/#/sprs3topic?reportid=budget-2354
Office of the Leader of the Opposition 