The maritime disputes in the South China Sea need to be tackled as part of a broader US-China relationship, rather than as a one-dimensional, zero-sum issue, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
To that end, he said the US must first start by building an overall, substantive relationship in the region.
Speaking to the Wall Street Journal editorial board in an interview in the United States this week, PM Lee outlined what he thought the US response should be to the South China Sea issue.
"I think there must be no doubt in anybody's mind that America is a Pacific power, that you have an interest in the region, that you would like a peaceful region, but at the same time, you would like international norms and laws to be observed."
It was therefore important, he said, for the US to push through the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade deal and ratify the decades-old United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
"Without the interest in a broad range of mutual cooperation, America is just another country which has some claim or some assertion," he said. And once the relationship is built, the US would be better placed to deal with the South China Sea.
"You are in a position to say, 'I am here, I have an overall relationship with China, we have issues, we have cooperation, but we also have things which we need to discuss'."
Washington and Beijing have been at odds on the matter for years, with the US frequently chiding China over what it sees as its bullying of countries in the region. China, in turn, accuses the US of having double standards and interfering with Chinese national interests.
And while there have been attempts to stress the broader cooperation between the two sides, thorny issues such as cyber security and the South China Sea often overshadow meetings.
During the broad-ranging interview with the US newspaper, Mr Lee was also asked for his views on Chinese politics and President Xi Jinping's leadership.
Mr Lee said that though Chinese influence is growing rapidly, the country remains conscious of the issues it has.
"I am not sure that they are feeling triumphant. I think they are feeling anxious that there are so many relationships in the region which are yet to be fully consolidated. They like people to be their friends, but they know that that takes time."
And despite the challenges, he believes the Xi regime is stable.
"I do not think he has a challenger. I think he has a lot of personal popularity... They have problems, but they are working at it. They understand the problems even though they may not be able to overcome them quickly."
He also dismissed the suggestion that the Chinese leader was setting up a cult of personality.
"That is a pejorative, a normative statement, but I think he is putting himself front and centre because he thinks it will help him to get what he needs done, done. And he does have a personality and he is projecting it. You find it strange because several of his predecessors did not have any personalities publicly projected."
Jeremy Au Yong
