Sino-US Ties to Determine Future of Asia-Pacific Region: S'pore DPM

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, February 25, 2002

Sino-US Ties to Determine Future of Asia-Pacific Region: S'pore DPM

Sino-US relations will determine the future of the Asia-Pacific region, a senior Singapore official said. How the relationship between the United States and China develops will determine the strategic environment in the 21st Century -- certainly in the Asia Pacific region, and perhaps even globally.

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Importance of Sino-US relations

Sino-US relations will determine the future of the Asia-Pacific region and it is in the interests of the regional countries to see friendly relations between the two countries, a senior Singapore official said.

The comment was made by Singapore Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Tony Tan Keng Yam in his keynote speech at the inaugural Asia Pacific Security Conference organized by Singapore's Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies.

Decisive factor for future of Asia-Pacific region

"How the relationship between the United States and China develops will determine the strategic environment in the 21st Century -- certainly in the Asia Pacific region, and perhaps even globally," Tony Tan said.

Noting that the US is the sole superpower which is overwhelmingly more powerful than any other nation or group of nations today and China is a rising power, he said, "how these two countries deal with each other, whether they co-exist and cooperate or the relationship is tense and confrontational, will determine the future of the Asia-Pacific region."

Stable environment needed

A positive cooperative Sino-US relationship will provide a stable environment and enable sustained development for the region, the Singapore defense minister said. A negative confrontational relationship between the two countries will bring tension and instability, he added.

"It is therefore in the interests of all regional countries to see friendly relations between the US and China," Tony Tan stressed.

The Singapore minister also emphasized that "the role of countries such as Japan and India will also help to shape the Asia- Pacific strategic environment and these countries have the strategic weight to make a difference -- whether they act in concert with others to help maintain stability and peace, or try to assert themselves."

New Milestone for Sino-US relations

The meeting between Chinese President Jiang Zemin and Bush last week is rich in content and has drawn world attention.

Since last year, Jiang and Bush have made many telephone conversations and exchanged letters, keeping in close touch on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of common concern. Four months ago the two presidents had a successful meeting in Shanghai. Jiang will visit the United Stateslater this year at the invitation of Bush, and Chinese Vice-President Hu Jintao will also visit the United States in the near future at the invitation of U.S. Vice President Richard Bruce Cheney. The frequent exchange of visits by the two countries' leaders shows a sound momentum for the development of bilateral relations. >>details

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