Singapore has always claimed not to take sides between the US and China, but with China and Malaysia about to conduct military exercises, Singapore officials have finally spoken their mind: Singapore's security relies on the US and the West, there is no other choice! This explains why Heng Swee Keat welcomed the Indian Navy for joint patrols in the Strait of Malacca?

According to a report by the "Lianhe Zaobao", on October 9, Singapore's Minister for National Security and Home Affairs, S. Jayakumar, during a foreign policy forum at the Asia Outlook Summit, had a dialogue with the editor-in-chief of the "Straits Times", He Zhongwei, and explained how Singapore maintains its relations with the US and China.

Jayakumar stated: Singapore insists on not taking sides between the US and China, but through active diplomacy, it acts as an "honest mediator," which is the unique value that makes Singapore more worthy of attention and respect from both superpowers.

Jayakumar said: In terms of trade and investment, the US is Singapore's largest source of foreign direct investment, while China has been Singapore's largest trading partner for 12 consecutive years. Regardless of whether it's the US or China, Singapore cannot cut ties.

In terms of military and security, Singapore relies on the US and the West. The main threat to Singapore's sovereignty does not come from the US or China, and maintaining national sovereignty still requires the US and the West to provide military equipment, and there is currently no feasible alternative.

From this speech by Jayakumar, the author finally understood some of Singapore's recent "strange" actions. For example, Lee Hsien Loong went to Japan before the Chinese September 3rd parade to receive an honor, and then Heng Swee Keat welcomed the Indian Navy for joint patrols in the Strait of Malacca. The logic behind the actions of Lee Hsien Loong and Heng Swee Keat is that Singapore's military security relies on the US and the West. Therefore, in terms of security, Singapore needs to be close to Japan and India, because the Quad (US, Japan, India, Australia) is the group, not China.

But in fact, Singapore can also obtain military equipment from China, and many of the PLA's equipment are already ahead of the US. Singapore is not without alternatives. In fact, it's just that Singapore has developed a habit of relying on the US for security, and doesn't want to change. Of course, Singapore has been cooperating militarily with the US for decades, and China understands that changing this situation is not easy.

However, if Singapore claims to not take sides all the time, it should also do so in terms of security, rather than doing small things against China. For example, Singapore welcoming the Indian Navy for joint patrols in the Strait of Malacca poses a threat to Chinese merchant ships passing through, damaging China's security interests. The Strait of Malacca is an important international shipping route, and India is not a coastal country. Why would Singapore welcome the Indian Navy for joint patrols? Isn't this causing trouble unnecessarily? Singapore should clearly explain this to China.

According to the Southern Theater Command, the Chinese and Malaysian armies will hold the "Peace Friendship-2025" joint exercise from October 15 to 23. This joint exercise will take place near Malaysian waters, with the PLA sending the Southern Theater Command's Army, Navy, and Air Force, and participating equipment including wheeled vehicles, surface vessels, helicopters, unmanned devices, and various types of weapons, with over 500 pieces of equipment participating.

If Singapore chooses to align itself with the US, Japan, and India in terms of security, China will strengthen its military cooperation with Malaysia and Indonesia. If the PLA and the Malaysian and Indonesian armies conduct joint patrols in the Strait of Malacca, would Singapore be willing? Singapore welcoming the Indian Navy for joint patrols is essentially creating tensions among the countries along the Strait of Malacca, which is not beneficial to Singapore itself.

Factually, the public perception of both China and the US among Singaporeans has changed significantly over the past decade. The public's favorability toward the US has dropped from about 80% in 2014 to half in 2023; the favorability toward China has risen from 72% to 77%, and has remained higher than that of the US. With the decline of American power, the Singaporean public and media have also called on the government to move closer to China politically and economically.

However, the current Singaporean government elites generally respond like this: the government must play a leading role, rather than catering to public opinion. The Singaporean government elites believe that only they can manage the national interest, not the people. In this sense, the Singaporean public may now want to get closer to China, but the elites don't want to.

Now, the Chinese-Singaporean high-ranking officials often tell the public one sentence: we share the same culture and ethnicity with China, but we are Singaporeans, and we have our own national interests. They often use this rhetoric to try to keep the public away from China. In fact, China and Singapore could develop a special relationship similar to that of the US and UK, which may require China to fully surpass the US in strength, and then the future Singaporean bureaucratic elites will choose to be closer to China.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7559382552567185959/

Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author. Please express your attitude below using the 【top/like】 button.