Scope of each country’s defence no longer so neatly defined: Chan Chun Sing

SINGAPORE – Technological and geopolitical changes in the world have intensified security challenges and prompted countries to redefine how they think of their defence in three crucial ways, said Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing.

While this means the business of security has become more complex, it also opens up new opportunities for Singapore to work with more partners, Mr Chan told reporters on May 31.

Speaking to the media after he

hosted visiting ministers and representatives

in a closed-door ministerial roundtable discussion, Mr Chan said a key topic of discussion was how “defence and security can no longer be cut up so neatly based on geography, as per the past”.

Instead, there was a strong sense that a geographic concept of security has become inadequate, with European ministers talking about their security being intertwined with that of the Asia-Pacific, and vice versa.

A more networked world and greater awareness of threats from the information and cyber domains have also prompted new conversations about securing critical infrastructure, such as underwater cables that link nations to the internet, said Mr Chan.

And while defence ministers used to be more concerned about kinetic warfare – the deployment of armed forces in combat – they are today equally concerned about the security and resilience of their supply chains and economies, he added.

Mr Chan said a point made at the roundtable discussion was that meeting these challenges would be a long-term endeavour, requiring countries to work together.

Ministerial roundtables are a regular feature of the Shangri-La Dialogue, where ministers engage in informal conversations over lunch.

“If we are really serious about building capabilities for the long haul, it must be a commitment across different political cycles,” Mr Chan said.

The new challenges open up new avenues for Singapore to work with countries that are farther away but which have shared interests in developing capabilities, such as to secure supply chains and to counter disinformation, he added.

During the 20-minute interview, Mr Chan was also asked about US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s remarks earlier in the day, which included a

call for Asian countries to raise their defence spending

and to not become economically dependent on China.

Mr Chan said ministers at lunch were “appreciative of (Mr Hegseth’s) candour”.

But while the ministers were “cheered” by the US’ commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, they were also keen to see how this would translate into tangible action.

On the Chinese Defence Minister’s

absence at this year’s forum

, Mr Chan said most, if not all, ministers at the roundtable would have hoped for the presence of the Chinese delegation.

This is because participation in the forum has continued to grow, and many countries find it a useful platform to exchange views, he added.

For the first time since 2019, China sent a delegation not led by its defence minister, which meant it could not hold bilateral meetings at the ministerial level with other countries, such as the US.

The Shangri-La Dialogue allows countries to have side meetings with one another, which helps minimise chances of miscalculation or misreading another country’s intentions, said Mr Chan.

“I encourage all my fellow counterparts, all my fellow defence ministers, that notwithstanding China’s absence, we should continue to reach out to China,” he said.

“And I’m sure China, in its own time, will also want to reach out to the rest of the world... so that we minimise the chances of misunderstanding.”

To a question by a Chinese media outlet that mentioned Singapore’s “balancing act” between China and the US, Mr Chan said that is not the Republic’s approach.

“Singapore is not trying to balance anybody, and we are also not the interlocutor (between other countries),” he said.

Instead, Mr Chan said it sees itself as an open and inclusive platform that allows people to come together for frank and honest conversations.

“Where it’s appreciated, we will also share with our partners our perspectives, our interpretations, and likewise, we appreciate our partners sharing with us their perspectives and their interpretations of events,” he added.

Mr Chan said one point that came up during the lunch was the importance of trust, without which it would be difficult for countries to work together on matters of defence.

Building trust has to be done at multiple levels: from those in high political office meeting and talking to one another, to soldiers, airmen and sailors having the opportunity to train together and understand one another’s concerns, he said.

The more such opportunities exist, the greater the chances that the next generation will work together to overcome new challenges, and Singapore will play its part, he added.

“We will always be an open and inclusive platform for people to come together and exchange notes, to have frank conversations with one another,” he said.