Singapore’s Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, Mr Stanley Loh’s Commentary entitled “Singapore is Part of Common Circle of Friendship of US and China”, published in the Global Times on 8 June 2016

Singapore is Part of Common Circle of Friendship of US and China

1.                 I refer to the commentary by Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Researcher Mr Cheng Bifan, entitled “Singapore has picked the wrong target in its balance of powers strategy”, published in Global Times on 1 June 2016.  The commentary suggests that Singapore has taken sides against China.  This view is completely wrong. 

2.                 Singapore is a good friend of both the US and China.  We do support the US engagement in the region.  The US has been a benign force that has undergirded stability and prosperity in the Asia Pacific since the end of World War Two.  China too has benefitted from this regional stability and prosperity, which has provided the conditions for China’s rapid growth since its opening up in 1978.

3.                 We are also supportive of China’s peaceful development. We welcome China’s active participation in a rules-based international order and look forward to it playing a growing and constructive role in regional prosperity and peace.

4.                 Hence, Singapore has supported China’s development, even through the difficult post-1989 period.  We began discussions with China on the first Government-to-Government cooperation project, in Suzhou, in 1992.  Singapore was one of the first ASEAN countries to participate in the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.  We also look forward to cooperating with China and other stakeholders on the “One Belt, One Road” initiative.

5.                 In cross-strait relations, Singapore has played a facilitative role.  We hosted the Wang-Koo talks in 1993 and the first ever meeting between the top leaders from both sides last year.  This was possible only because Singapore has maintained a principled and consistent stand on this issue.

6.                 China-Singapore ties have broadened and deepened over the decades.  We have supported China’s development as China’s needs and priorities evolved.  Following the Suzhou project, both sides launched flagship Government-to-Government projects in Tianjin and Chongqing.

7.                 We should avoid getting caught in a zero-sum mentality.  Singapore fully agrees with what the leaders of both the US and China have said – that the Asia Pacific is big enough to accommodate both powers.  We do not see a growing Chinese role in the region as being at the expense of US contributions to regional stability, security, and prosperity.  As recently articulated by President Xi Jinping, the US and China should “cultivate common circles of friends” and Singapore is part of this common circle of friendship. 

8.                 China’s rise will cause a major shift in the strategic environment, especially for small countries like Singapore.  We hope that possible friction points, such as the South China Sea, will not derail the overall positive trajectory.  Singapore has taken a principled stand on the South China Sea, emphasising the right to freedom of navigation and overflight, which are vital national interests.  We are not a claimant state and do not take sides on competing territorial claims.  We support the peaceful resolution of disputes, in accordance with international law, including UNCLOS. 

9.                 Finally, I note that Mr Cheng cited comments by various Singapore leaders.  These comments were taken out of context and are a gross distortion of what was actually said.

STANLEY LOH (罗家良)

Singapore’s Ambassador

to the People’s Republic of China

新加坡坚属中美共同朋友圈

《环球时报》2016年6月1日刊登了中国社会科学院研究员程毕凡先生题为《新加坡“均势战略”选错了目标》的评论文章。该文宣称新加坡在“选边”， 对抗中国。此看法是完全错误的。

新加坡是中美两国的好朋友。我们的确支持美国参与区域事务。美国在第二世界大战后为巩固亚太地区的稳定和繁荣起到了良性的作用。此地区的稳定与繁荣也让中国从中获益，提供了条件让中国自1978年改革开放以来取得快速发展。

我们一直以来也支持中国的和平发展。我们欢迎中国积极参与基于规则的国际秩序中，期待它为地区繁荣与和平发挥不断扩大的建设性作用。

因此，新加坡向来都支持中国的发展，即使是在艰难的1989年后期。1992年，新加坡开始和中国讨论在苏州建立第一个政府间合作项目。新加坡是最早支持亚洲基础设施投资银行的东盟国家之一。我们也期待同中国和其他利益相关的国家共同推动“一带一路”倡议。

新加坡在两岸关系中发挥了辅助性的角色。我们为1993年的“汪辜会谈”和去年的两岸最高领导人的首次会面提供了场地。我们能做到这一些，是因为我们向来在两岸关系上保持了一贯和原则性立场。

几十年来，中新关系不断拓展和深化。我们随着中国不断演变的发展需求和重点，提供了与时俱进的支持。继苏州项目之后，双方又在天津和重庆启动了政府间合作旗舰项目。

我们应该避免陷入零和博弈的思维。中美两国领导人曾说亚太地区之大足够同时容得下美国和中国两个大国，　这一点新加坡完全赞同。　我们认为，中国在地区事务中发挥越来越重要的作用的同时，并不会必然地消减美国为地区稳定和安全有做的贡献。正如中国国家主席习近平近日所说，中美应该“努力培育两国共同而非排他的'朋友圈'”，新加坡就是这朋友圈的成员之一。

中国的崛起意味着战略环境的重大变化，尤其对于如新加坡这样的小国家。我们希望如南海问题的潜在摩擦点不会使整体向好的趋势脱轨。在南海问题上，新加坡秉持了一个原则性的立场， 强调航行和飞越自由权， 这两点是至关重要的国家利益。我们不是声索国， 对于各方的主权声索不选边站队。我们支持在按照国际法包括联合国海洋法公约的国际法架构平解决争议。

最后，我注意到程先生引用了不同新加坡领导人的评论，这些评论在被引用的过程中被断章取义，严重扭曲了事实。

新加坡驻华大使

STANLEY LOH（罗家良）

2016年6月7日