SG in ménage à trois with US and China for next 30 years

[LITTLEREDDOT]

S'pore should prepare for up to 30 years of US-China rivalry: George Yeo​

Former foreign minister George Yeo suggested that Singapore work on reconnecting with its South-east Asian neighbours and establishing its own identity. ST PHOTO: FELINE LIM

Justin Ong
Political Correspondent
JAN 11, 2022


SINGAPORE - Singapore should prepare for "easily" up to 30 years of competition between the United States and China, which could take the form of skirmishes off the sea or proxy wars, said former foreign minister George Yeo on Tuesday (Jan 11).
To avoid being caught in between and to maintain sovereignty, he suggested that Singapore work on reconnecting with its South-east Asian neighbours and establishing its own identity - one where being Singaporean means being "bigger" than just a nationality.
Mr Yeo, who is currently a visiting scholar at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, was speaking as a panellist at a curtain-raiser for the annual Singapore Perspectives conference organised by the Institute of Policy Studies think-tank.
This year's event, with the theme "City", comprises seven virtual forums on Jan 13 and 17, and a physical conference on Jan 24.
Asked by moderator and ambassador-at-large Chan Heng Chee if he saw Singapore being among the great cities in the region and the world in the next two decades or so, Mr Yeo said that if the Republic can position itself well in a flourishing Asia, its prospects would be bright.
"There's no guarantee because we're in competition with others. There's always the possibility that we may make bad mistakes," he added.
"For example, the current tension between the US and China will mark this period of history and it will go on for years to come… sometimes high tension, sometimes low tension."

Mr Yeo said that if Singapore remains just a city-state, it would find itself frequently between a rock and a hard place.
Singapore thus needs to organically "reroot" itself in the region and become a capital city of Asean, he added, noting Singapore's links to other members of the 10-nation bloc through their sizeable communities here.
Working through Asean, Singapore can better navigate the big powers - not by taking sides, but by leaning "a little to the other side" in the event anyone pushes Singapore too hard.


Mr Yeo said Singapore's leaders must have the foresight to steer the nation away from potential conflict and danger.
"We are part of many networks - the American network, the Chinese network, the Indian network. And every network has to capture us, naturally, so we have to be careful," he cautioned. "We are friendly to everybody, but we are autonomous."
Also taking part in the in-person panel discussion was former chief city planner Liu Thai Ker, though their audience was an online one. Viewers could submit questions - one of which was how Singapore could thrive amid conflicting spheres of influence between China and the US.


Mr Yeo said the challenge for the country - where about three-quarters of the population identify as ethnically Chinese - was not outside but "inside".
"Who are we as Singaporeans?" he asked. "Is Singapore just a facility, a convention centre, a good hotel, a restaurant - or is it something more? Does it stand for values which others are happy to associate with?"
Mr Yeo added: "Singapore is special because our different communities retain their ancestral cultures… and we encourage them to be proud of their ancestral cultures. Our diversity is not based upon everybody curbing themselves to become Singaporean, but everybody being bigger in accepting others who are not like themselves.
"If we can make this happen - that to be Singaporean is to be bigger than what you were when you were in China or India or Indonesia or Thailand… then to be a Singaporean is to become bigger."
Mr Yeo said this, and questions around how Singaporeans relate to one another, was something to think deeply about.
"The more comfortable we are with our own identity, the more open we'll be," he said. "If I know who I am, I can accept you for who you are… So identity is important, and Singapore's identity is complicated because it is made up of constituent identities."

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

US lays out detailed case against China's South China Sea claims​

A China Coast Guard ship and a Philippine supply boat in a stand-off in the South China Sea in 2014. PHOTO: AFP

Jan 12, 2022

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States on Wednesday (Jan 12) laid out its most detailed case yet against Beijing's "unlawful" claims in the South China Sea, rejecting both the geographic and historic bases for its vast, divisive map.
In a 47-page research paper, the State Department's Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs said China had no basis under international law for claims that have put Beijing on a collision course with the Philippines, Vietnam and other South-east Asian nations.
"The overall effect of these maritime claims is that the PRC unlawfully claims sovereignty or some form of exclusive jurisdiction over most of the South China Sea," the paper said, using the acronym for the People's Republic of China.
"These claims gravely undermine the rule of law in the oceans and numerous universally recognised provisions of international law reflected in the Convention," it said, referring to a 1982 United Nations treaty on the law of the sea ratified by China - but not the United States.
Releasing the study, a State Department statement called again on Beijing "to cease its unlawful and coercive activities in the South China Sea".
The paper is an update of a 2014 study that similarly disputed the so-called "nine-dash line" that forms the basis for much of Beijing's stance.
In 2016, an international court sided with the Philippines in its complaints over China's claims. Beijing replied by offering new justifications, including saying that China had "historic rights" over the area.


The State Department paper said that such historical-based claims had "no legal basis" and that China had not offered specifics.
It also took issue with geographic justifications for China's claims, saying that more than 100 features Beijing highlights in the South China Sea are submerged by water during high tide and therefore are "beyond the lawful limits of any state's territorial sea".
Beijing cites such geographic features to claim four "island groups", which the State Department study said did not meet criteria for baselines under the UN Convention.
The report was issued as the US increasingly challenged China on the global stage, identifying the rising communist power as its chief long-term threat.
In 2020, then Secretary of State Mike Pompeo explicitly backed claims of South-east Asian nations in the South China Sea, going beyond the past US stance of challenging China without taking an issue on which countries were right.
The South China Sea is home to valuable oil and gas deposits and shipping lanes, and Beijing's neighbours have frequently voiced concern that their giant neighbour was seeking to expand its reach.

 

[laksaboy]

I wonder what kind of blackmail material the Chicoms have on George Yeo?

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

I wonder what kind of blackmail material the Chicoms have on George Yeo?

A few Chinese mistresses, all of whom are national spies?

They have him by the balls, literally.

 

[Hypocrite-The]

I wonder what kind of blackmail material the Chicoms have on George Yeo?

Maybe a huge pay out by the Globalist. Georgy boy is snake for the Globalist

 

[mahjongking]

I wonder what kind of blackmail material the Chicoms have on George Yeo?

just bought another bungalow near his house.....while we bitch

 

[tanwahtiu]

China is giving US a kick in the butt to say US is China enemy forever and stay this way with the SCS dispute. so China can never join alliance with US to attack other country together like the fake 911 Iraqi attack.... NWO...

 

[blackmondy]

Wow Georgie Boy, what a fucking revelation ! I'm impressed by your clairvoyance !

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

President Halimah and President Xi reaffirm S'pore-China ties​

(From left) Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, President Halimah Yacob and Senior Minister of State for National Development and Foreign Affairs Sim Ann, during a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, at the Great Hall of The People in Beijing, on Feb 6, 2022. PHOTO: XINHUA

Elizabeth Law
China Correspondent

Feb 6, 2022

BEIJING - Singapore President Halimah Yacob and her Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Sunday (Feb 6) agreed to continue upgrading bilateral relations and welcomed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will further cooperation in giant panda research, said a statement from Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).
Madam Halimah met Mr Xi at the Great Hall of The People on the last day of her working visit to Beijing, which included attending the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics last Friday.
Both leaders reaffirmed the excellent state of bilateral relations, which they said maintained a positive momentum, even during the Covid-19 pandemic. They added that both governments should "step up collaboration in existing areas of cooperation", including the three inter-government projects in Suzhou, Tianjin and Chongqing.
They also welcomed more cooperation in areas like the digital economy, the green economy and smart cities.
"(The leaders) also discussed the importance of strengthening people-to-people ties, and looked forward to the full resumption of air connectivity and people-to-people exchanges when conditions permitted," the statement said.
A Chinese Foreign Ministry read-out of the meeting said Mr Xi called on both sides to leverage each other's strengths to achieve "win-win cooperation".
"The Singaporean side is welcome to rely on the local cooperation mechanism established with Chinese provinces and cities to play a greater role in China's dual circulation economy," he said.

Singapore has eight provincial business and economic councils - with Sichuan, Shandong, Liaoning, Zhejiang, Tianjin, Guangdong, Jiangsu and Shanghai.
During the meeting, both leaders also unveiled the name of a student hostel built in the remote Anzi Town in Chongqing to mark the 30th anniversary of bilateral relations.
Madam Halimah noted that the hostel symbolised the "strong friendship between our peoples and the importance that both countries attached to education", said the MFA statement.
"Zhixinlou", which translates to "understanding and learning more about Singapore", can house over 100 students, significantly reducing travel time for students living in rural areas who previously had to trek hours just to attend school.
It was built using funds raised by the Singapore Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China, and Singapore's foreign missions in China, and has been in use since January 2021.
The MFA statement also announced a new MOU signed between Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry and China's National Forestry and Grassland Administration promoting further exchange and knowledge sharing between both sides in the management and conservation of giant pandas.

 

[zhihau]

For goodness sake, PRC don’t need Sinkiestan in any way anymore. Think about it.

They can speak better English than any ah beng on our streets, Xi Dada stamped out corruption as much as he could in the last decade or so.

Land, they have. People, they have. Friends, they have. What do they lack?

 

[Pinkieslut]

For goodness sake, PRC don’t need Sinkiestan in any way anymore. Think about it.

They can speak better English than any ah beng on our streets, Xi Dada stamped out corruption as much as he could in the last decade or so.

Land, they have. People, they have. Friends, they have. What do they lack?

they lack talents like Ho Ching and Pinky Loong!

 

[blackmondy]

Undertable agreement : dear Winnie, please bring more dirty money to sinkapore to launder.

 

[syed putra]

Natives of most south east asian countries have dealt with chinese before in their own way so xi jinping wlecome to test their resolve.

 

[mojito]

Wat he grabbin? Looks spherical and BiG!

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

By condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and by imposing sanctions on Russia, Singapore has taken the side of the United States against China.
Singapore is no longer neutral between US and China.

China asked Russia to delay Ukraine invasion until after Winter Olympics: NYT​

Local residents work among the remains of a residential building destroyed by shelling, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, in Zhytomyr, Ukraine March 2, 2022. PHOTO: REUTERS

Mar 3, 2022

WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - Senior Chinese officials told senior Russian officials in early February not to invade Ukraine before the end of the Winter Olympics in Beijing, The New York Times reported, quoting Biden administration officials and a European official who cited a Western intelligence report.
The Times said the intelligence report indicated senior Chinese officials had some level of knowledge about Russia's plans or intentions to invade Ukraine before Moscow launched the operation last week.
A source familiar with the matter confirmed to Reuters that China had made the request but declined to provide details. The source declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.
"The claims mentioned in the relevant reports are speculations without any basis, and are intended to blame-shift and smear China," said Mr Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington.
The United States State Department, the Central Intelligence Agency and the White House National Security Council did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
After weeks of warnings from Western leaders, Russia unleashed a three-pronged invasion of Ukraine from the north, east and south on Feb 24, just days after the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics ended.
The intelligence on the exchange between the Chinese and Russian officials was collected by a Western intelligence service and is considered credible by officials reviewing it, the Times reported.

Senior officials in the US and in allied governments passed it around as they discussed when Russian President Vladimir Putin might attack Ukraine but intelligence services had varying interpretations, the Times said, adding that it was not clear how widely the information was shared.
One official the Times said was familiar with the intelligence said the material did not necessarily indicate the conversations about an invasion took place at the level of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Mr Putin.

 

[mojito]

By condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and by imposing sanctions on Russia, Singapore has taken the side of the United States against China.
Singapore is no longer neutral between US and China.

China asked Russia to delay Ukraine invasion until after Winter Olympics: NYT​

Local residents work among the remains of a residential building destroyed by shelling, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, in Zhytomyr, Ukraine March 2, 2022. PHOTO: REUTERS

Mar 3, 2022

WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - Senior Chinese officials told senior Russian officials in early February not to invade Ukraine before the end of the Winter Olympics in Beijing, The New York Times reported, quoting Biden administration officials and a European official who cited a Western intelligence report.
The Times said the intelligence report indicated senior Chinese officials had some level of knowledge about Russia's plans or intentions to invade Ukraine before Moscow launched the operation last week.
A source familiar with the matter confirmed to Reuters that China had made the request but declined to provide details. The source declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.
"The claims mentioned in the relevant reports are speculations without any basis, and are intended to blame-shift and smear China," said Mr Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington.
The United States State Department, the Central Intelligence Agency and the White House National Security Council did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
After weeks of warnings from Western leaders, Russia unleashed a three-pronged invasion of Ukraine from the north, east and south on Feb 24, just days after the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics ended.
The intelligence on the exchange between the Chinese and Russian officials was collected by a Western intelligence service and is considered credible by officials reviewing it, the Times reported.

Senior officials in the US and in allied governments passed it around as they discussed when Russian President Vladimir Putin might attack Ukraine but intelligence services had varying interpretations, the Times said, adding that it was not clear how widely the information was shared.
One official the Times said was familiar with the intelligence said the material did not necessarily indicate the conversations about an invasion took place at the level of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Mr Putin.

Cina not supporting Russia openly so it is safe.

 

[steffychun]

Loser George still dare open mouth?

 

[Leongsam]

President Halimah and President Xi reaffirm S'pore-China ties​

(From left) Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, President Halimah Yacob and Senior Minister of State for National Development and Foreign Affairs Sim Ann, during a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, at the Great Hall of The People in Beijing, on Feb 6, 2022. PHOTO: XINHUA

Elizabeth Law
China Correspondent

Feb 6, 2022

BEIJING - Singapore President Halimah Yacob and her Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Sunday (Feb 6) agreed to continue upgrading bilateral relations and welcomed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will further cooperation in giant panda research, said a statement from Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).
Madam Halimah met Mr Xi at the Great Hall of The People on the last day of her working visit to Beijing, which included attending the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics last Friday.
Both leaders reaffirmed the excellent state of bilateral relations, which they said maintained a positive momentum, even during the Covid-19 pandemic. They added that both governments should "step up collaboration in existing areas of cooperation", including the three inter-government projects in Suzhou, Tianjin and Chongqing.
They also welcomed more cooperation in areas like the digital economy, the green economy and smart cities.
"(The leaders) also discussed the importance of strengthening people-to-people ties, and looked forward to the full resumption of air connectivity and people-to-people exchanges when conditions permitted," the statement said.
A Chinese Foreign Ministry read-out of the meeting said Mr Xi called on both sides to leverage each other's strengths to achieve "win-win cooperation".
"The Singaporean side is welcome to rely on the local cooperation mechanism established with Chinese provinces and cities to play a greater role in China's dual circulation economy," he said.

Singapore has eight provincial business and economic councils - with Sichuan, Shandong, Liaoning, Zhejiang, Tianjin, Guangdong, Jiangsu and Shanghai.
During the meeting, both leaders also unveiled the name of a student hostel built in the remote Anzi Town in Chongqing to mark the 30th anniversary of bilateral relations.
Madam Halimah noted that the hostel symbolised the "strong friendship between our peoples and the importance that both countries attached to education", said the MFA statement.
"Zhixinlou", which translates to "understanding and learning more about Singapore", can house over 100 students, significantly reducing travel time for students living in rural areas who previously had to trek hours just to attend school.
It was built using funds raised by the Singapore Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China, and Singapore's foreign missions in China, and has been in use since January 2021.
The MFA statement also announced a new MOU signed between Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry and China's National Forestry and Grassland Administration promoting further exchange and knowledge sharing between both sides in the management and conservation of giant pandas.

What about China's slaughter and incarceration of muslims in China surely she should take a stand on the issue.

 

[Leongsam]

S'pore should prepare for up to 30 years of US-China rivalry: George Yeo​

Former foreign minister George Yeo suggested that Singapore work on reconnecting with its South-east Asian neighbours and establishing its own identity. ST PHOTO: FELINE LIM

Justin Ong
Political Correspondent
JAN 11, 2022


SINGAPORE - Singapore should prepare for "easily" up to 30 years of competition between the United States and China, which could take the form of skirmishes off the sea or proxy wars, said former foreign minister George Yeo on Tuesday (Jan 11).
To avoid being caught in between and to maintain sovereignty, he suggested that Singapore work on reconnecting with its South-east Asian neighbours and establishing its own identity - one where being Singaporean means being "bigger" than just a nationality.
Mr Yeo, who is currently a visiting scholar at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, was speaking as a panellist at a curtain-raiser for the annual Singapore Perspectives conference organised by the Institute of Policy Studies think-tank.
This year's event, with the theme "City", comprises seven virtual forums on Jan 13 and 17, and a physical conference on Jan 24.
Asked by moderator and ambassador-at-large Chan Heng Chee if he saw Singapore being among the great cities in the region and the world in the next two decades or so, Mr Yeo said that if the Republic can position itself well in a flourishing Asia, its prospects would be bright.
"There's no guarantee because we're in competition with others. There's always the possibility that we may make bad mistakes," he added.
"For example, the current tension between the US and China will mark this period of history and it will go on for years to come… sometimes high tension, sometimes low tension."

Mr Yeo said that if Singapore remains just a city-state, it would find itself frequently between a rock and a hard place.
Singapore thus needs to organically "reroot" itself in the region and become a capital city of Asean, he added, noting Singapore's links to other members of the 10-nation bloc through their sizeable communities here.
Working through Asean, Singapore can better navigate the big powers - not by taking sides, but by leaning "a little to the other side" in the event anyone pushes Singapore too hard.


Mr Yeo said Singapore's leaders must have the foresight to steer the nation away from potential conflict and danger.
"We are part of many networks - the American network, the Chinese network, the Indian network. And every network has to capture us, naturally, so we have to be careful," he cautioned. "We are friendly to everybody, but we are autonomous."
Also taking part in the in-person panel discussion was former chief city planner Liu Thai Ker, though their audience was an online one. Viewers could submit questions - one of which was how Singapore could thrive amid conflicting spheres of influence between China and the US.


Mr Yeo said the challenge for the country - where about three-quarters of the population identify as ethnically Chinese - was not outside but "inside".
"Who are we as Singaporeans?" he asked. "Is Singapore just a facility, a convention centre, a good hotel, a restaurant - or is it something more? Does it stand for values which others are happy to associate with?"
Mr Yeo added: "Singapore is special because our different communities retain their ancestral cultures… and we encourage them to be proud of their ancestral cultures. Our diversity is not based upon everybody curbing themselves to become Singaporean, but everybody being bigger in accepting others who are not like themselves.
"If we can make this happen - that to be Singaporean is to be bigger than what you were when you were in China or India or Indonesia or Thailand… then to be a Singaporean is to become bigger."
Mr Yeo said this, and questions around how Singaporeans relate to one another, was something to think deeply about.
"The more comfortable we are with our own identity, the more open we'll be," he said. "If I know who I am, I can accept you for who you are… So identity is important, and Singapore's identity is complicated because it is made up of constituent identities."

For this sort of analysis you have to ask Bilahari he is the best smoke thrower around. George Yeo is a novice in comparison.

 

[Leongsam]

S'pore should prepare for up to 30 years of US-China rivalry: George Yeo​

Former foreign minister George Yeo suggested that Singapore work on reconnecting with its South-east Asian neighbours and establishing its own identity. ST PHOTO: FELINE LIM

Justin Ong
Political Correspondent
JAN 11, 2022


SINGAPORE - Singapore should prepare for "easily" up to 30 years of competition between the United States and China, which could take the form of skirmishes off the sea or proxy wars, said former foreign minister George Yeo on Tuesday (Jan 11).
To avoid being caught in between and to maintain sovereignty, he suggested that Singapore work on reconnecting with its South-east Asian neighbours and establishing its own identity - one where being Singaporean means being "bigger" than just a nationality.
Mr Yeo, who is currently a visiting scholar at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, was speaking as a panellist at a curtain-raiser for the annual Singapore Perspectives conference organised by the Institute of Policy Studies think-tank.
This year's event, with the theme "City", comprises seven virtual forums on Jan 13 and 17, and a physical conference on Jan 24.
Asked by moderator and ambassador-at-large Chan Heng Chee if he saw Singapore being among the great cities in the region and the world in the next two decades or so, Mr Yeo said that if the Republic can position itself well in a flourishing Asia, its prospects would be bright.
"There's no guarantee because we're in competition with others. There's always the possibility that we may make bad mistakes," he added.
"For example, the current tension between the US and China will mark this period of history and it will go on for years to come… sometimes high tension, sometimes low tension."

Mr Yeo said that if Singapore remains just a city-state, it would find itself frequently between a rock and a hard place.
Singapore thus needs to organically "reroot" itself in the region and become a capital city of Asean, he added, noting Singapore's links to other members of the 10-nation bloc through their sizeable communities here.
Working through Asean, Singapore can better navigate the big powers - not by taking sides, but by leaning "a little to the other side" in the event anyone pushes Singapore too hard.


Mr Yeo said Singapore's leaders must have the foresight to steer the nation away from potential conflict and danger.
"We are part of many networks - the American network, the Chinese network, the Indian network. And every network has to capture us, naturally, so we have to be careful," he cautioned. "We are friendly to everybody, but we are autonomous."
Also taking part in the in-person panel discussion was former chief city planner Liu Thai Ker, though their audience was an online one. Viewers could submit questions - one of which was how Singapore could thrive amid conflicting spheres of influence between China and the US.


Mr Yeo said the challenge for the country - where about three-quarters of the population identify as ethnically Chinese - was not outside but "inside".
"Who are we as Singaporeans?" he asked. "Is Singapore just a facility, a convention centre, a good hotel, a restaurant - or is it something more? Does it stand for values which others are happy to associate with?"
Mr Yeo added: "Singapore is special because our different communities retain their ancestral cultures… and we encourage them to be proud of their ancestral cultures. Our diversity is not based upon everybody curbing themselves to become Singaporean, but everybody being bigger in accepting others who are not like themselves.
"If we can make this happen - that to be Singaporean is to be bigger than what you were when you were in China or India or Indonesia or Thailand… then to be a Singaporean is to become bigger."
Mr Yeo said this, and questions around how Singaporeans relate to one another, was something to think deeply about.
"The more comfortable we are with our own identity, the more open we'll be," he said. "If I know who I am, I can accept you for who you are… So identity is important, and Singapore's identity is complicated because it is made up of constituent identities."

Speaking of ménage à trois the NZ family court is now trying to sort out how to portion property and other assets when this sort of arrangement comes to an acrimonious end. There is nothing in the statues to guide the judge.