Conflicts in Europe and Middle East must not be repeated in Asia: Ng Eng Hen

SINGAPORE – Asian countries are determined not to let the conflicts and humanitarian crises in Europe and the Middle East take place in the region.

That was the recurring theme at the ongoing Shangri-La Dialogue, according to Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen.

“There has been a strengthened resolve or pre-emption that conflict shouldn’t occur in Asia, because it would really destabilise having a third centre of confrontation (after Europe and the Middle East), but also, the lessons learnt on the cost of aggression and the consequences of aggression, whether it’s justified or not,” he said.

Dr Ng was speaking to reporters after hosting a roundtable discussion with 24 visiting ministers and their representatives on June 1 in conjunction with the defence summit, which is taking place from May 31 to June 2.

The ministers discussed a wide range of issues, including US-China relations and the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.

They also reaffirmed the importance of maintaining regional and international peace and stability, including by upholding the rules-based international order and through the practice of confidence-building measures.

These measures include the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea and the Guidelines for Air Military Encounters, which establish how military ship and air crews should act when encountering their counterparts from other countries at sea and in the air.

Conflict prevention and resolution measures will also be strengthened.

The roundtable is a regular feature at the summit, and 2024’s event included

both United States Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin and Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun.

Dr Ng also said that Singapore will continue to play a role by being the host for the summit and providing a place for various countries with different views and perspectives to come together.

However, he said any issues between the US and China can be solved only by both parties themselves, noting that the presence of ministers from both countries indicated a desire to listen to other viewpoints.

Series of meetings

Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto, who

addressed the summit on the afternoon of June 1,

had called on Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the Istana in the morning.

Both reaffirmed the close bilateral and people-to-people relations between their countries, and noted the excellent progress in cooperation in areas such as renewable energy and sustainability.

They also exchanged views on regional and international issues.

Meeting on May 31, Dr Ng and Malaysian Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin reaffirmed their nations’ warm and longstanding defence relations, and their commitment to enhancing mutual trust and understanding between their defence establishments. 

They also discussed cooperation between Singapore and Malaysia in regional multilateral platforms, such as the Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM), ADMM-Plus – which includes eight dialogue partners such as China, the US and Russia – and the Five Power Defence Arrangements.

Dr Ng also met Thai Defence Minister Sutin Klungsang, with both ministers reaffirming the strong ties between Singapore and Thailand, and discussing ways to deepen defence cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

In the afternoon, Dr Ng met Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta, who later spoke at a plenary session on enhancing crisis management and rising competition. 

Both men reaffirmed the friendly defence relationship between Singapore and Timor-Leste, exchanging views on ways to enhance defence cooperation and on regional security developments.

Dr Ng also met a US congressional delegation in Singapore for the summit that was led by Representative Michael McCaul, who chairs the US House Foreign Affairs Committee.

The congressional delegation also included representatives Gregory Meeks of New York, Young Oak Kim from California, Joe Wilson from South Carolina, and Joseph Courtney from Connecticut.