China and US must keep talking to better understand each other: Chan Chun Sing

Straits Times

2 days ago

Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing speaking at the close of the Shangri-La Dialogue on June 1. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
Shangri-La Dialogue 2025 China and US must keep talking to better understand each other: Chan Chun Sing
SINGAPORE - Direct dialogue between the United States and China must continue, as both sides would benefit from understanding each other's perspectives more deeply despite their differences, said Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing.
Speaking at a media wrap-up on June 1 at the close of the Shangri-La Dialogue, Mr Chan said his private conversations with both delegations indicated that the superpowers do want to understand each other better, but that this would require frank dialogue.
'Even if they don't agree with what the other party says, it is important for them to hear what each other says and, perhaps more importantly, to understand why each party says what they say,' said Mr Chan.
His comments followed two days of discussions at the annual security forum in Singapore, which brought together regional and global defence leaders at the Shangri-La Hotel.
The press conference, attended by both local and foreign journalists, was dominated by questions about US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's speech at the forum's opening plenary, as well as China's lower-level representation at this year's gathering.
On May 31, the Pentagon chief had warned that the threat China posed to its neighbours in the Indo-Pacific was 'real', and he called on Asian countries to raise their defence spending.
Mr Chan said he had read Mr Hegseth's speech 'very carefully, more than once' and urged others to consider it in full rather than to focus only on certain parts.
While the speech did highlight concerns about China's behaviour, he noted that it also contained a 'quite significant' message of US intent.
Mr Hegseth had said the US did not seek war, nor to dominate or to strangle China. It also did not aim to encircle, provoke, or seek regime change, nor will it instigate or disrespect a proud and historic culture, he added.
'Yes, he did talk about the China threat,' said Mr Chan. 'But I think, and I may be wrong, it's the first time something like this has been stated so clearly.
'So I leave it to the audience to put the weights on the different parts of the speech.'
Mr Chan stressed the importance of not looking at China or the US as monolithic powers, and that both societies have their domestic and external challenges.
Understanding their internal dynamics will help countries understand why leaders of both powers do what they do, he added.
This is why the two powers have to talk to one another directly, and where the value of the Shangri-La Dialogue lies, said Mr Chan.
Replying to a question on how the US' and China's position on issues such as Taiwan and the South China Sea are so far apart that the two powers just talk over each other, Mr Chan said that is precisely why genuine dialogue is needed.
Besides the plenary discussions, the forum's value is in allowing for small-group discussions with counterparts from around the world.
Mr Chan said he himself had 13 such meetings on May 31, away from the main discussions.
'It's useful to just go into a room, have a cup of coffee, meet one another and exchange notes,' he said. 'And if Singapore can provide the coffee and the table and chairs, we will gladly do it.'
Conversely, it is not very useful in defence diplomacy to exchange notes through social media, especially if the intent is to achieve deeper understanding, he added.
On the absence of China's defence minister at the forum, Mr Chan reiterated that each country has their own considerations as to who they send, and there should not be an overemphasis on whether a certain personality attends or not.
For the first time since 2019, China's defence minister did not attend the dialogue. In his place, the delegation was led by Rear-Admiral (RADM) Hu Gangfeng, the vice-president of the People's Liberation Army National Defence University.
Mr Chan said he met with both the US and Chinese delegations, and that his message to both was the same: that military and economic security must reinforce each other, a perspective shared by many countries over the weekend.
Reflecting on his first Shangri-La Dialogue as Defence Minister, Mr Chan said some of his counterparts had asked how he had been able to conduct the forum just seven days into assuming the defence portfolio.
The event was clearly not put together in seven days, he said, but was the outcome of a year's worth of work by an entire team that included Mindef, the Singapore Armed Forces and other agencies.
'That is the beauty of the Singapore system - that it goes beyond the dependence on a single personality,' he said.
He added that a remark made during the ministerial roundtable discussions that resonated with him was the phrase 'freedom is not free'.
This was a powerful reminder that freedom requires commitment - both across political cycles, and in investments into people and capabilities, he said.
Besides budgetary resources, freedom also requires public support for defence, and rising to meet new troubles and challenges, he added.
'If we have the commitment to seek peace (and) to work on building those relationships and trust, then I'm more confident, that we can overcome the challenges by finding solutions.'
- Hariz Baharudin is a correspondent at The Straits Times covering politics.
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