US ‘indispensable’ in Asia: Singapore PM
November 4th, 2009 | 
Author: Agence-France Presse, 4 November 2009
The United States plays an “indispensable” role in Asia despite the rise of China and India and should be part of any new regional group, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Tuesday.
Lee, whose state is hosting this year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, expressed hope that Washington would deepen engagement in the region despite worries over Afghanistan, Iraq and the Middle East.
“We believe America plays an indispensable role in Asia in many fields — economic, political, strategic, security,” he told a news conference.
“We’ve been talking about a multipolar world, but de facto the US is the most powerful nation in the world and will be so for some time to come.”
US President Barack Obama, Lee and 19 other leaders including the presidents of China and Russia will gather in Singapore for the November 13-15 APEC summit.
Washington announced early Wednesday that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will attend the APEC ministerial meeting scheduled for November 11-12, also in Singapore.
The United States will have a high-level presence at “the annual ministerial meeting which is a meeting of both Secretary Clinton and US chair (Ron) Kirk and their counterparts from the other 20 economies,” senior US official Kurt Tong said.
Lee’s comments came amid debate about the US role in various proposed free-trade zones and economic communities in the region.
At an Asian summit last month in Thailand, Japan spoke of its vision for an East Asian Community and Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd outlined his idea for an Asia-Pacific Community.
Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama was unclear on the extent of proposed US involvement but Rudd’s vision includes Washington.
Diplomats say that Beijing meanwhile favours a free-trade zone comprising the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) plus China, Japan and South Korea.
APEC itself has a long-term goal — a free-trade area extending from Chile to China.
Lee said Washington’s role in Asia comes not only from its economic and military might, but also from its post-World War II contribution to a stable security environment that allowed Asia-Pacific nations to prosper.
“I think all (APEC) participants acknowledge that it is important for Asia, while it is working on regional cooperation, to also maintain an open and an inclusive framework of cooperation which does not exclude the US and does not exclude Europe,” he said.
On the APEC agenda, the leaders are expected to discuss issues linked to long-term recovery from the global economic slowdown, Lee said.
“We’ll be discussing how to work together to foster growth in the region, specifically more balanced, inclusive and sustainable growth… and also how we can further the economic integration of the Asia-Pacific,” he said.
Efforts to revive the Doha Round of global trade talks will also be on the agenda, but APEC can only do so much to push for a successful conclusion, the prime minister said.
“It depends, in this case, particularly on a few countries — India, China to a lesser extent (and) the United States to a considerable extent. We will have to see what they decide to do,” Lee said.
“Without the impetus of Doha, the pressure and the temptation to do protectionist things becomes harder to resist,” he warned. – AFP
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10 Responses to “US ‘indispensable’ in Asia: Singapore PM”
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enough of US pestering around at every single corner of the world. give us a break. stop sucking balls to that falling country
As of now, I cannot see possibility of regional war breaking out in Asia. Neither China or India is militarily aggressive in their political posturing. Japan is unknown equation although resources constraints could change the political landscape in years to come.
US military presence in Asia to counterbalance China? I think is more of our own paranoia. Even Russia is no longer posturing against US, so why China is a threat militarily to anyone?
China, Japan, South Korea and India needs a lot of raw material for the industrialisation paths BUT THEY ARE ALL INVESTING HEAVILY ABROAD TO SECURE FUTURE SUPPLY LINE – the competition, as I can see of now, is ECONOMIC, NOT MILITARY.
Makes no sense to me to talk of US military presence to counter-balance any other (mainly benign) regional powers. If US sees it differently, it won’t close Subic Bay and also Japan won’t be pressuring to close Okinawa military facilities. The focus in US is cutback in military spending and rebuilding its economy.
I DO THINK THAT THE USA,DESPITE ITS’ DOMESTIC SOCIO-ECONOMIC
PROBLEMS-WHICH I BELIEVE THEY COULD RESOLVE BY AND BY-IS STILL
A STABILISING FORCE FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD.
AMERICANS,ESPECIALLY FROM THE OLDER GENERATION,HAVE HELPED THE WORLD’S NATIONS IN ALL ASPECTS OF HUMAN ENDEAVOURS DESPITE AND IN SPITE OF SOME ERRORS HERE AND THERE!
No country has been as generous as the USA in modern history.
Most of the other more influential nations were less generous
with sharing their resources be it in economics,technology or
other arena.
Let’s show gratitude at the right time and especially in difficult times.
It dosen’t who praise the USA but whether the USA should
receive rightful recognition.
this is just a humble opinion.
BTW i wish PRESIDENT OBAMA GOD’S blessings so that help heal AMERICA and its people and together with BRIC and others bring
world peace and prosperity.
Actually, I have to fully agree with LHL and LKY on this. But then again, you’d HAVE to agree if even Hitler said that food was important.
The USA has been a stabilising force in global politics, and a key promoter of democracy. We need their help to promote the cause of democracy in a place like Singapore, where authoritarianism has left is severely lacking. We owe it to them for contributing their condemnation of the political repression in Singapore, though I also feel they could have done far, far more. Then again, they do have a war and a recession on their hands, and furthermore there’s still a lot more room for improvement on the part of getting apathetic Singaporeans to be more aware of their irrevocable human rights that the PAP proudly and blatantly violates every day.
Certainly, what the PAP is trying to do is trying to reap the benefits of close relations with one superpower and one regional power, rather than just choosing either. Truth be told, despite Singapore supposedly being a ‘democracy’, they are politically and ideologically more similar with the CCP. Which other ‘democratic’ party has regular exchange programs with the CCP? No other, except the PAP. It is only too clear that they want to make Singapore a single-party state, modelled after China’s, while offering China all their expertise and knowledge.
And let’s don’t be fooled by the China into eating their ‘peaceful rise’ rhetoric wholesale. Every country has done that, yet every country breaks out in war. They are a sound threat, and unlike democratic countries, the CCP will suffer no penalty for breaking such a promise and reverting into conquering Asia if they (or its future leaders) so wish. We’ve seen what a democratic country can do to stop the blundering of somebody like Bush, but a single-party state? It won’t happen. I am not saying that they will not be peaceful, but we should exert more caution with them than with other democratic governments. Furthermore, there are other democracies in the region. What in the world is the PAP thinking by extending such open hands to the CCP all the way in faraway China? We should working more closely with fellow democracies in Southeast Asia to unite and counterbalance China’s growing influence, lest we end up being bought out like Africa.
i think .. we need US ..in case our neighbours become naughty to us.
i think, what MM/PM said was an attempt to speak in their/US’ perspective to persuade them to stay in asia n defend us when our water supply is cut n our country attacked for having maids abused.
We need to be good neighbours rather than be good friends with the US. The only reason to believe that our neighbour will be unkind towards us is because the leaders have become US lackeys and turned Singapore into a base for imperialist hegemony.
US is already in deep shit because of the 2 wars in the Middle East. It will be buried by the shit because it achieved nothing by spending so much other than removing the previous regime and replacing it with a warped democracy. They wanted to export democracy but the truth is they wanted oil.
Needless to say, they have engaged in a totally futile effort. Now, their economy is in tatters. With their influence eroding, it is quite unwise for Singapore to continue relying on the US.
US defending us?
Such unlimited niavety!
CIA engineered assasination of Ngo Dinh Diem and Washington was the master chess player in the final overthrow of Nguyen Van Thieu while purporting to defend democracy in former South Vietnam before the collapse of the former Saigon regime.
When oil-rich Timor was invaded by Indonesia, NOT one word of caution or reprimand from US. Timor did NOT exist in US political vocabulary and not one US peace-keeping soldiers after Australians drove out Indonesian forces.
@ Anonymous
Unwise for Singapore to continue relying on US?
Didn’t some one said that Singapore’s economy will only
pick up when US’s economy shows sign of improving.We are always smelling US’s backsides!
US economy is so deep in quagmire – 9.9% officially unemployed. Unofficially? Who knows what extent of under-employment. Tough call to count on US MILITARILY when financially they are so deep of malaise. My take is that a massive de facto devaluation might be the only solution to deflate its bubble and slowly reflate its economy in the next ten years. We are trapped of dependency – economically and on our wits end.
Actually,most countries in some way still suck up to the USA
for one reason or another,even AUSTRALIA.
Honestly,till the day the wolrd is more in balance geopolitically,economicaly and otherwise,the BIG APPLE,
is still a balancing ingredient to the whole world whether we like it or not.
i should say,on the whole,they have so far done more good than evil….of course no one is perfect and like anybody else,they too need to make amends(adjustments).