Singapore’s Lee cautions US against ‘everyone but China’ approach in Asia engagement, says ‘more pleased’ if Hong Kong expats stayed put

In a wide-ranging dialogue, PM Lee Hsien Loong touched upon the Ukraine war’s implications for Asia and the ‘changing climate’ in Hong Kong, among other topics

He said Singapore welcomed Hong Kong expats but ‘would be more pleased if they were happy to remain’ in the city as it made the region more vibrant and dynamic

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Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong speaks at an event in Washington last month. Photo: EPA

Published: 6:20pm, 11 Apr 2022Updated: 6:47pm, 11 Apr 2022

The United States needs to be inclusive as it works to deepen its economic ties with Asia and not take an “everyone but China” approach to the region, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said.

Asking Asian countries to reject China’s overtures of cooperation “is not just unrealistic, it is wrong”, Lee said, as he called for Washington to maintain “an overlapping and constructive engagement in the region” as it worked out how to deal with Beijing in a way that did not destabilise the global system.

Lee made the comments during a wide-ranging dialogue with The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board on April 1, which covered, among other topics, Hong Kong and the Ukraine war’s implications for Asia.

People pictured wearing face masks in Hong Kong last month. Lee said the departure of expats from the city ‘tired of Covid-19 restrictions’ was only short term. Photo: EPA

Asked about how Hong Kong’s situation would affect Singapore, Lee said that the departure of expats “tired of the Covid-19 restrictions” was only short term.

“Some of them may want to come to Singapore. We are happy to welcome them, but actually we would be more pleased if they were happy to remain in Hong Kong,” he said, in remarks that his office published in English and Chinese on Sunday.

“It is competition for Singapore, but it will make for a vibrant, dynamic region and Singapore belonging to the region will benefit from that.”