US, China should work together on a rules-based system: Ng Eng Hen
Both the US and China are deviating from global norms and acting on their own to protect their core interests, but this challenges the status quo Asia has benefited from, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said yesterday at the Shangri-La Dialogue.
It would be a lose-lose scenario for the world if the US and China are unwilling to work together on an inclusive and rules-based system, he said during a session on regional security cooperation.
Dr Ng cited how the US recently slapped unilateral tariffs on steel and aluminium imports based on national security.
"The US has put forth its case for such a unilateral action, whether or not other countries accept that," he said.
Similarly, claimant states in the South China Sea have, for security reasons, taken unilateral actions in disputed areas to protect their interests, he said.
China was criticised on the first day of the dialogue on Friday for ramping up its deployment of missiles and other defence systems to the waters.
Dr Ng noted China stakes its claims on historical grounds and, despite a 2016 ruling in the Philippines' favour, has intensified its build-up of facilities as a forward position against possible encirclement.
Both the US and China used core security considerations to justify the need for such actions.
Said Dr Ng: "Whatever the merits of arguments, these deviations from global norms challenge the status quo and accepted rules which have hitherto benefited Asia, and the regions beyond.
"All of us would agree that it is in our collective interest to preserve a system that has lifted millions in Asia from poverty."
Dr Ng noted that Chinese President Xi Jinping himself championed globalisation in a keynote address at the Boao Forum for Asia in April, and understood the need for a rules-based order.
He added: "But what are the rules? What happens when rules are not completely followed or when new rules appear? Those are questions that not only China and the US, but all of us, must contend with because it will affect us all."
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