For Belt and Road to succeed, China must work harmoniously with other countries: Shanmugam
Through the trade route and other initiatives, China has the potential to build a “new economic architecture that can uplift economic growth in this hemisphere”, Singapore's Home Affairs and Law Minister says.
Read more at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/for-belt-and-road-to-succeed-china-must-work-harmoniously-with-9162874 (Updated:)
ricky l ricky l 4 seconds ago China To facilitate trade and encourage consumption to fuel Economic Growth - there is a need to ensure a positive, conducive climate of peace, friendliness with other Countries in the World.
Only then, it will be successful to transform a debt-driven economic growth to a consumption driven and trade driven growth.
The following principles will help to achieve the above Economic goals and Economic benefits :- "Friends with all, adversaries to none. Forge mutual benefits and win-win outcome. Protecting our National Interests while accomodating the interests of others without compromising ours." Less Reply
ricky l ricky l 4 seconds ago 此乃“菩萨偈”。 “仁者天下行”。 Reply
For the Belt Road initiatives, connectivity together with RCEP to succeed and Countries to fully support the 2 initiatives, China making friends with Countries along the BRI is vital.
In particular, 2 Big Countries with substantial spending power such as Japan and India.
Thus there is a need to tone down the political and territorial challenges while emphasize on the Economic cooperation - with strong overture on Win-Win, mutual beneficial outcome - whether short-term, intermediate term and long-term relationship.
I feel that Singapore should aticipate the infrastructure, connections, hardware and software that is needed in this Belt, and start positioning itself in these Countries. China at the moment is concentrated on making the Belt happen, but for the Belt to survive and work it needs Support from many angles, hope Sing has identified what Support is needed and is ahead of the curve, in the various areas. My 2 cents worth , Ciao
Why Vivian is not at the forum to comment on the BRI ? Sham is honest, he dared "for Singapore, nothing is guaranteed, the world can pass us by in any instant ". He is more of a pragmatist. However he knew the challenges, which many had thought that Singapore could overcome them. Some commenters here wanted the best of both worlds. Friends to all n a win win situation ? OMG. Living in utopia. Not knowing everyday, every nation is trying to screw each other. China can help Thailand to built the canal at the isthmus of kra n Singapore is finished s far s BRI is concerned. Also all it's ports can half close n built HDB with more Sea front views there. I wonder how long have we to wait to c Singapore come out with a drastic shift in foreign policy to bring relief to this region that USA n china would bring their disputes to the SC Sea n East China Sea n stay there, n we would not c any news of Chinese or USA military movements in Singapore or Singapore waters, once n for all
Even if you totally get rid of USA military presence from SG, China will not stop its aggressive posture. Otoh, it will invite more aggressive behaviour from our neighbours. So don't be naive!
Richard Kee it's not very possible to get rid of USA's presence in Singapore. There may b a way to invite Chinese military into Singapore to set the code that Singapore is not favoring any side. Thus Hopefully USA n China's military in Singapore would b for liaison or dialogue purpose like Davos for economic summits. The way china treated Taiwan can give us n indication that majority Chinese nations r brothers n should not let USA lay a wedge between them. If USA were to leave SG completely, we r also not sure how oppressive china is going to b. Xi Jing Ping does not look like one who is morefriendly than all his predecessors. Perhaps when he retires, the new Chinese leader may b a much relaxed president who would give Singapore n Taiwan more "sovereignty" n not arm twisting fellow overseas chinamen. Once china has military presence in SG, I guess china would let SG breathe a little easier on trade. If USA r totally gone from SG, then I think the Chinese under xi Jing Ping would b quite dictatorial on Singapore foreign relations. I may b wrong
Richard Kee it's not very possible to get rid of USA's presence in Singapore. There may b a way to invite Chinese military into Singapore to set the code that Singapore is not favoring any side. Thus Hopefully USA n China's military in Singapore would b for liaison or dialogue purpose like Davos for economic summits. The way china treated Taiwan can give us n indication that majority Chinese nations r brothers n should not let USA lay a wedge between them. If USA were to leave SG completely, we r also not sure how oppressive china is going to b. Xi Jing Ping does not look like one who is morefriendly than all his predecessors. Perhaps when he retires, the new Chinese leader may b a much relaxed president who would give Singapore n Taiwan more "sovereignty" n not arm twisting fellow overseas chinamen. Once china has military presence in SG, I guess china would let SG breathe a little easier on trade. If USA r totally gone from SG, then I think the Chinese under xi Jing Ping would b quite dictatorial on Singapore foreign relations. I may b wrong
Dave Pilot - Do you know that China own 10 berth with PSA in Singapore and is further investing 3 mega-berth with PSA in Singapore? China PLA naval ship can berth in any of the 13 berth.
Do you know that Singapore regularly invite China PLA navy and army in joint exercise ?
Do you know that China also want their military to be in low key?
Do you know that China is requesting Singapore to organise a joint ASEAN-China naval exercise in Singapore next year 2018?
Dave Pilot - do you know that China prefer to berth its commercial ships in the 13 berth joint-owned instead and prefer adhoc naval visit rather than a naval base in Singapore?
For Belt and Road to succeed, China must work harmoniously with other countries: Shanmugam
Through the trade route and other initiatives, China has the potential to build a “new economic architecture that can uplift economic growth in this hemisphere”, Singapore's Home Affairs and Law Minister says.
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The China-Pakistan Friendship Highway is a crown jewel of China's One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative, a massive global infrastructure programme to revive the ancient Silk Road and connect Chinese companies to new markets around the world. AFP/Johannes EISELE
(Updated:)
SINGAPORE: China'sBelt and Road initiative(BRI) presents many opportunities for growth in the region, but the Asian superpower has to work with other countries for it to succeed, Singapore's Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam said on Monday (Aug 28).
Building on the ancient overland Silk Road economic belt connecting China to Europe and the Maritime Silk Road connecting Asia, the Middle East and Africa, the BRI is aimed at facilitating trade and investment flows between China and other countries through infrastructure.
Speaking at the Asia Economic Forum at the National University of Singapore, Mr Shanmugam said the project was bold, imaginative and ambitious, and exemplifies the vision of a country that is currently the "world leader in many aspects of infrastructure technology".
China has also been “very strategic” in the way it has been investing, linking up with other countries and building relationships, and its companies are prepared to take risks and invest in large infrastructure projects, the minister said.
Noting the many criticisms levelled at China and its political system, Mr Shanmugam said that it must be acknowledged that the country has achieved results for its people over the last 35 years “on a scale that no other country in history has” – both in terms of the speed of progress and the number of people who have made the leap from poverty to prosperity.
“China has been showing its detractors are getting it wrong,” he said, citing its success in the field of science and technology, contrary to claims that its political system does not allow innovation.
Mr Shanmugam called the BRI "arguably the most ambitious infrastructure project in history" with the "potential to bring Eurasia, China and Southeast Asia even closer together".
However, he added a note of caution: While routes such as the BRI enable trade, they can also enhance connectivity between extremists and jihadist influences. There are also risks associated with other countries' individual interests, he said.
"China will have to try and work with these different interests, and try to align them. That is not going to be easy. In many ways, building the infrastructure is the easier part."
If there is a deficit in trust with other countries, regional counter blocs with countries such as India, Japan and perhaps powers outside Asia may form, and possible US influence "should not be underestimated", the minister said.
Such blocs are not optimal "for China or for anyone else", he added. "No country, not even China, can really go it alone in the modern world ... It's in China's interest - and ours too - that its rise to great power status, or even superpower status, is peaceful and is seen to be peaceful."
Mr Shanmugam said that China has the opportunity through the BRI and other regional initiatives like the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership to build a "new economic architecture that can uplift economic growth in this hemisphere".
It will be easier to achieve this if it is able to work harmoniously with "countries which have weight, influence in the world economy" as well as receives the cooperation of such countries along the Silk Route, he added.
CHANGING BALANCE BETWEEN CHINA AND THE US
In his speech, Mr Shanmugam noted the rise of China, which he said is likely to be the largest world economy in absolute terms, though not in per capita terms. Technologically and militarily, China will become a more significant player over the next 20 to 30 years, he predicted.
With this, he said there will also inevitably be a change of relative power between America and China.
Although the minister stressed that the US still has a significant lead, the world superpower will have "less and less scope for unilateral actions especially in areas of the globe where China has strong interests", he said.
China also will not be able to ignore US interests even as its power increases, he added.
"It is likely that the US ability to decide unilaterally will be reduced from what it has been in the last 25 years. At the same time, it is difficult to see any one country - including China - taking over the US' role of global leadership."
Mr Shanmugam also argued that it is in China's interests to work with the existing international order built on free trade.
He said that for many Asian countries, while China is the biggest trading partner, the ultimate consumer of most of the traded products is still the US. The products go as intermediate products to China, before the finished products are then exported to the US.
This situation will likely remain for some time to come, he said, adding that for the BRI to succeed, the globalized economy needs to function. This means "there must be no trade wars between China and the US; there must be continued growth, peace and stability - all of this and more will be necessary.”
The minister said: "How stable a more multipolar world will be difficult to predict, but it will be in the US', China's and other countries' interests to maintain stability."
HOW DOES THIS IMPACT SINGAPORE?
According to the Home Affairs Minister, figures show Singapore is already benefiting from the opportunities offered by the BRI, with China's investments in Singapore alone making up about a third of its total investments in BRI countries.
Singapore's investments in China also accounted for 85 per cent of total inbound investments from BRI countries, he noted.
The country recognised very early the potential for China's growth from the early 1980s, and was an “active proponent of that growth”, Mr Shanmugam said, adding that the country supported the BRI since its early years of inception.
"With the new opportunities, we can (and) should be able to find ways of being economically relevant."
Small states must continually earn their relevance on the international stage, he said. "China, the US, India will be there a hundred years from now. For us, nothing is guaranteed. The world can pass us by in an instant."
Singapore benefits from initiatives like the BRI and will also continue to maintain good relationships with its neighbours, with China as well as its Western counterparts in Europe and the US, he said.
"Can Singapore remain relevant in the future? We can, if we are smart ... we achieved what we have achieved by thinking bold, thinking big."
Source: CNA/mz Read more at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/for-belt-and-road-to-succeed-china-must-work-harmoniously-with-9162874
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