Most Asian countries don’t see China as a security threat: Singapore’s Lee Hsien Loong
Many countries in the region want to continue doing business while managing ties with China, the ex-prime minister says
While several European nations would consider Moscow a security threat and want to boost their collective defence, China is not an existential issue for most countries in Asia, and many want to continue doing business while managing ties with Beijing, according to Lee.
Speaking at a forum at British think tank Chatham House in London on Monday, the senior minister said there were exceptions to the rule. He cited Japan, which had disputes with Beijing over the Diaoyu Islands and a troubled World War II history, and Australia because of its alliance with the US and the way it viewed the actions of the Chinese in the South China Sea.
Lee termed Taiwan a “special case” in the group since it was not a country, and also mentioned South Korea, which had concerns over China’s stance on Pyongyang.
“But most other countries do not take such a stance. Because we see China as a big power in the region – present, a geographical reality. They are here; we do a lot of business with them; we have prospered because they have prospered, and we want to prosper more,” said Lee, who stepped down as prime minister of Singapore in May 2024 after a tenure of almost 20 years.
He noted there were bilateral issues, including in the South China Sea between Beijing and some Asean countries, referring to the 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
“But even while you have the bilateral issues, you do not frame it as an existential thing – you want to do business and you want to be able to manage the relationship. Because overall, you have many, many different tongs in the fire,” he said.
Lee argued that even US allies in the region wanted to “maintain their equities with China”, citing Japan with its considerable trade and investments with Beijing and Australia, whose biggest export market is China.
“From time to time, those get caught up in great geopolitical disputes and get held up, but they want to maintain that relationship.”
Such ties with China gave the strategic situation in Asia a very different colouration and tone from that in Europe, he stressed, pointing out that it did not mean countries eschewed ties with the US and had always benefitted from “Pax Americana”, a term describing the relative peace in the world after the end of World War II as a result of America’s global clout.
“But I think for all the countries in the region – all the smaller countries in the region – we believe that it is better to be pushed from both sides and yet have manoeuvring room and freedom of action and autonomy in a region which is open, where you have choices, where there is a balance of power and multiple players are here.”
Lee noted that while this was not ideal and meant that nations could not get everything they wanted, they would still be able to prosper together. Ultimately, it was better than having a world carved up into spheres of influence where small countries were only allowed one choice for their “best and biggest friend”, he added.
On Singapore’s immigration policy and its impact on security in the densely populated city state of about 735 sq km, Lee conceded it was not an easy balance to strike.
They have to know that if you are in Singapore, please keep the bling down
About one-third of workers in Singapore are foreigners amid a declining birth rate.
Lee noted that foreign workers were necessary and that Singapore had to manage them and get them to understand what the rules were, since it was not just about the manpower needs of its economy but also about maintaining its identity and cohesion.
“They have to know that if you are in Singapore, please keep the bling down. Do not go around popping champagne, which is US$20,000 a bottle with sparklers, and do not zoom your Ferrari or Lotus or whatever down the middle of the road in the middle of the night just to let everybody know that you have arrived,” Lee said.