Singapore and Australia share common strategic view: LKY

This is the 'golden strand' in bilateral ties, he tells Canberra audience

The Straits Times, March 29, 2007
By Lydia Lim, SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT



GREEN TALK: Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew discussed the environment with Prime Minister John Howard in Canberra.



CANBERRA - SINGAPORE and Australia share a common strategic view that the balance of power in the Asia-Pacific region requires a US presence to provide stability and security, visiting Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew said.

He identified this as the 'golden strand' in the fabric of their bilateral relations, which encompass trade, defence cooperation and research collaboration.

'The golden strand is our common strategic view that the present strategic balance in the Asia-Pacific, with the US as the pre-eminent power, provides stability and security that enables all to develop and grow in peace,' Mr Lee said after being conferred an honorary Doctorate of Laws by the Australian National University (ANU).

In a speech to some 100 ANU faculty members and guests, he traced the arc of bilateral ties over the last 40 years, and the two countries' changing fortunes in tandem with global developments.

On Asia's resurgence, powered by the rise of China and India, Mr Lee noted that today more than half of Australia's top 10 trading partners were in Asia, with China having overtaken the United States as the second largest.

The same sea change was sweeping Singapore, with China now its third largest trading partner, up from ninth position a decade ago.

It has also been the top destination for Singapore's investments in the last decade.

But even as China's influence increased with its growing economic heft, Mr Lee said he believed that Beijing would find it in its interest to maintain the balance of power with the US and Japan in North-east Asia, so as to ensure a stable and secure external environment for continued growth.

'It is this trilateral balance between the major powers in North-east Asia - US, Japan and China - that has maintained security and stability in the wider Asia-Pacific region and so made for the high economic growth the region has enjoyed.

'China needs such an external environment for several decades to improve its economy and reduce the imbalances between its fast-growing coastal provinces and its less advantaged,' he said.

Singapore and Australia shared the same view about the need for an inclusive regional architecture and Australia has proven to be an 'important and constructive member' of the East Asia Summit (EAS), Mr Lee said.

The EAS is a 16-nation forum that brings together the Asean 10, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and India.

Australia has also contributed 'vital pieces' to the regional architecture through the free-trade agreements it has signed with Singapore and is negotiating with Asean, China and Japan, he added.

On the global war against terrorism, Mr Lee said the outcome of the war against the religious extremists in Iraq and Afghanistan, which involved the military presence of both Australia and Singapore, would have 'a profound influence on jihadists the world over'.

After the ceremony at ANU, Mr Lee called on Prime Minister John Howard at Parliament House and their discussion focused on environmental issues .

He and Mrs Lee also called on Governor-General Michael Jeffrey and Mrs Jeffrey before flying to Melbourne last night for the next leg of their three-city tour of Australia.