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US, China should develop truce under Biden, says Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong
- President Donald Trump’s ‘America First’ policy has changed perceptions about the US, and it may never recover from that, Lee said
- He rejected attempts to divide countries ‘Cold War style’, and also spoke about the RCEP trade deal, Huawei, coronavirus vaccines and Singapore’s economy
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US president-elect Joe Biden should look to develop an “overall constructive relationship” with China following “quite a tumultuous ride” over the past four years, said Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
A new framework between the nations would allow both countries “to develop the areas of common interest, and constrain the areas of disagreement” on issues such as trade, security, climate change, North Korea and non-proliferation, Lee said in an interview with Bloomberg at the New Economy Forum.
Singapore’s leader also rejected any attempt to divide nations “Cold War style”.
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“We all want to work together with the US, we all want to work together with other vibrant economies, we would like to cooperate within the region,” said Lee, who has already offered his congratulations to Biden. “I think not very many countries would like to join basically a coalition against those who have been excluded, chief of whom will be China.”
Lee, 68, has been one of the most vocal global leaders calling for the world’s biggest economies to avoid a destructive clash that could force smaller countries like Singapore to choose sides on everything from trade and technology to Covid-19 vaccines and territorial disputes in the South China Sea.
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