Singapore must never be a mouthpiece for other countries: Chan Chun Sing

BEIJING – Singapore must never be a proxy or mouthpiece for other countries, or it risks losing its credibility, and therefore its value proposition, said Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing.

Speaking at the Xiangshan Forum in Beijing on Sept 18, Mr Chan added that Singapore’s approach has been to continuously demonstrate its relevance and value as a partner.

Beyond being an economic partner and maintaining good relationships with others, Singapore also aims to be a reliable partner on the global stage, which includes being consistent and principled in its views, said Mr Chan, who is on

a four-day trip to China

that started on Sept 15.

“Consequently, we must never be a proxy or mouthpiece for others. Once a country becomes a proxy or mouthpiece, it loses its credibility, and therefore its value proposition.

“Singapore therefore upholds our sovereignty and stands by our principles,” he said at a plenary session on strategic mutual trust and security cooperation during the opening day of the annual security forum, which is attended by defence officials, academics and representatives of international organisations.

In Guangdong and Beijing, Mr Chan, who is also Coordinating Minister for Public Services, toured military facilities and held engagements with senior Chinese leaders and defence officials.

At the Xiangshan Forum, he warned about the potential costs of a fraying global order and how a more uncertain economic environment could reinforce uncertainties in the security environment and vice versa.  

For decades, many countries benefited from economic liberation and global integration, including in Asia, such as Singapore and China.

But today, there is growing discontent with the uneven distribution of these benefits, with various groups pushing back against global integration, he said. “Protectionism has started to drive policies.”

In addition, many countries already face tight fiscal constraints, and as they divert more resources to security, there will be less to meet social and economic needs, added Mr Chan.

Those left behind will receive even less support, which will in turn create more domestic pressure against globalisation and increase nativist instincts.

“History has taught us that such conditions precipitate conflict. Economic upheavals in the 1930s across many countries created fertile ground for radical politics.

“This triggered a vicious downward spiral in economic and security policy stability and can arguably be said to have contributed to World War II.”

He warned: “We once again risk falling into a similar vicious circle.” 

Mr Chan called for the continued promotion and reinforcement of the integrated economic and security order, underpinned by international law and sovereign equality. 

This has allowed countries, big and small, to have a fair chance to compete and contribute constructively to the global order.

“The alternative, where trust and dialogue are absent, will see both sides assume the worst of each other. Under the law of the jungle, the mighty will do what they wish, and the weak will suffer what they must. We must avoid this at all costs.”

On the relationship between the US and China, which has faced increasing tensions in recent years, Mr Chan said that competition and cooperation are not mutually exclusive. 

There is room for major countries to manage their differences and tackle global challenges, such as climate change and global health, together, he said.

He noted that Chinese President Xi Jinping suggested on Sept 3 – when China held a military parade to mark 80 years since the end of World War II – that countries should avoid a zero-sum mentality as they seek to build a more stable world.

Mr Chan cited US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth as saying during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore in May that the US does not seek to dominate, strangle, encircle or provoke China. Neither does it seek regime change, and it also will not instigate or disrespect China, said Mr Hegseth.

“Such statements from both superpowers give us confidence,” said Mr Chan.

“The world is indeed big enough for all countries to progress, prosper and learn together on an equal footing.”

In a later interview with Singapore and Chinese media on the sidelines of the forum, Mr Chan said that Singapore does not aim to balance between the US and China.

He was asked whether defence collaboration with China was calibrated based on Singapore’s relations with the US.

Mr Chan had visited Washington to meet Mr Hegseth just a week before coming to China.

Mr Chan said: “The way we approach our relationship with the US and China is the same. We are not trying to calibrate. That is not the word that we use. We are not trying to balance.

“Instead, the question that we constantly ask ourselves is, how can we be relevant and how can we be a partner that adds value to the relationship?”

That is why Singapore needs to spend time and effort to deeply understand the American and the Chinese systems, beyond specific personalities, he said.

To the extent that Singapore can contribute to the mutual understanding of the US and China, it will do its “small part”, said Mr Chan.

“But that does not mean that we are trying to pass messages or we are trying to balance – we never see ourselves as an interlocutor,” he added.

“I think the US and the Chinese, they have told us that both of them value our perspective, and we will share our perspective frankly with them.

“It doesn’t mean that they will always agree with everything that we say. But as a trusted, principled and reliable friend, we will do our best to share honest views with them,” he told reporters.

Small states also have agency, he said during his speech at the plenary session. With the fraying global security and economic order, small states may feel increasing pressure to pick sides.

“However, choosing sides and being a proxy for others breeds irrelevance and undermines one’s agency. Hence, small states cannot afford to take sides.

“Instead, we should consistently take positions that underpin an open and inclusive rules-based order. That is the surest way to secure our survival and success in the long term,” he said.

Mr Chan said Singapore is committed to working with like-minded partners, to “weave a web of bilateral, plurilateral and multilateral networks for the common good”.

In the security domain, Singapore has pushed for constructive engagement between militaries to enhance mutual understanding. The uncertain geopolitical environment today makes this challenging, but even more vital.

Platforms like the Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) and ADMM-Plus – which includes dialogue partners such as the US, China and Russia – play crucial roles in promoting strategic dialogue and practical cooperation between militaries, he said.

Since 2017, the ADMM and ADMM-Plus have adopted confidence-building guidelines for the air and sea domains, he noted. These seek to reduce the risk of miscalculation and escalation should an incident occur.

“Singapore values China’s consistent partnership and constructive contributions to the ADMM-Plus; in particular, the strong support for the practice of these air and sea confidence-building measures.”

In closing, Mr Chan said that peace should never be taken for granted.

“As we adapt to a transition in the global order, there is a historic opportunity for all great powers to exercise their leadership to win the world.”

He added: “Doing so will require magnanimity and a shared commitment to maintain harmony. Likewise, there is an opportunity for all small countries like Singapore to contribute to global stability by taking the side of principles, and not power.”

After his speech, Mr Chan was asked by a member of the audience from the Northeastern University of China about how to build mechanisms in the Asia-Pacific to promote peaceful co-existence.

He said that both big and small countries have their own responsibility, and a firm foundation can be established by addressing issues, instead of taking sides.

“Communication is the first step, and mutual trust is the next step. Only with communication and mutual trust can we build a mechanism,” he said.

On another question about addressing cyber-security challenges in the region, Mr Chan said this is not only a challenge but also an opportunity, as countries have a shared interest in upholding the integrity of shared networks.

“It is in our shared and common interests to work together to build new mechanisms to safeguard our networks, and to deny bad actors from disrupting the opportunity for us to progress together,” said Mr Chan.