Singapore PM Lee says U.S., China must learn to cooperate

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong speaks during a live address to the nation in Singapore, June 23, 2020. (Ministry of Communications and Information of Singapore/Handout via Xinhua)

"So if the two countries clash, everything is to be lost," Lee said.

SINGAPORE, May 25 (Xinhua) -- The United States and China must learn to cooperate with each other for the benefit of the world, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said.

The impact would be felt broadly should relations sour between the two countries, Lee said, speaking virtually last week at the inaugural Global Forum on Economic Recovery hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

"You are going to have a state of tension -- anxiety at the very least and conflict possibly -- all over the world," Lee said.

Containers of China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited are seen at the Port of Long Beach in Los Angeles County, the United States, Feb. 27, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

Both America and China are countries with huge economic power, high-tech and nuclear capabilities, and modernized armed forces, he pointed out.

"So if the two countries clash, everything is to be lost," he said.

Both countries must accept each other as they are, work together and find common ground for cooperation, the prime minister added.

Opportunities for cooperation include climate change, nuclear non-proliferation, and public health, Lee said.