‘Asean is no pushover’: top Singapore, Indonesia officials dismiss talk of choosing US-China sides
- Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Luhut Pandjaitan agreed that the region could continue to walk the middle path between Washington and Beijing
- Singapore’s Tharman said he expected US-China tensions to remain high regardless of who wins in November’s US presidential election
“We are not a small country. Why should we take a side? We have a big market,” Luhut said in the forum organised by Standard Chartered Bank.
Tharman, Singapore’s coordinating minister for social policies, said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ value to the US and China should not be overlooked.
“We think in terms of the US-China tensions as one which is a bit of a trap for many other countries,” Tharman said.
“But what we mustn’t overlook is that Asean is not without its own leverage … as an economic bloc, as a strategic bloc, and as a region that both the US and China would like to get along well with.”
Singapore’s former economic tsar cited the example of neighbouring Indonesia, describing it as “not a pushover” given its large economy, prosperity and opportunities afforded to citizens.
We want good relations with the Chinese and with the Americans
“Asean is not a pushover either,” Tharman said. “We will make decisions in each of our national interests. We want good relations with the Chinese and with the Americans.”
Tharman said there may be some opportunities for the region as businesses begin rolling out their so-called China Plus One strategies to manage geopolitical risks by locating facilities in other Asian countries apart from China.
“It’s about diversification and diversification does lend itself to Asean’s advantages especially if we get our game right,” Tharman said.
Tharman said he expected US-China tensions to remain no matter who wins, given how the factors leading to the strained bilateral relationship predated Trump’s administration.
With longstanding domestic divides in the US driving China policy, the cause of tensions will likely post-date the current administration, he said.
“Domestic divides express themselves politically very often in terms of hostility towards others, towards the rest of the world. China is of course a convenient foe,” he said. “I think the prospect of an early resolution of the current tensions is not very high.
“Both the US and China will have to make adjustments and both of them will also have to do so in ways that are not just about bilateral give-and-take, but about strengthening the multilateral system because it’s in both their interests.”
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The remarks by the officials on Tuesday come amid increased international interest – and commentary – over Asean’s ties with Washington and Beijing.
Particular attention is being paid to the region’s stance on the South China Sea dispute which involves several Asean member states and China. Washington toughened its position on the row in July, signalling that the issue was emerging as a key proxy in the superpower struggle.
In a commentary last week, the respected Singaporean ex-diplomat Bilahari Kausikan said external observers failed to understand the sophistication of the region’s policy towards the US and China.
