Neither US nor China can put each other down, says Singapore’s PM Lee

“The reality is, neither side can put the other one down,” Lee said on Tuesday, speaking by video link to the Aspen Security Forum. “I think that is a possible misunderstanding on both sides.”

The US is not in terminal decline, as some in Beijing believe, Lee said. Equally, “China is not going to disappear. This is not the Soviet Union”.

“I don’t know whether Americans realise what a formidable adversary they would be taking on if they decide that China is an enemy,” he said.

Over the years, Lee has been vocal in calling for the world’s biggest economies to avoid a destructive clash that could force smaller countries like Singapore – with its open, trade-reliant economy – to choose sides.