Edited Transcript of Joint Press Conference of the 11th Singapore-Australia Joint Ministerial Committee in Sydney, Australia, 29 March 2019

Minister Marise Payne: Thank you very much. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. First of all, can I welcome and thank our colleagues from Singapore—Vivian, Eng Hen, Chun Sing—thank you so much for joining us here in Sydney this morning for the 11^th Singapore-Australia Joint Ministerial Committee. Can I thank my Australian colleagues, Simon and Christopher, for also coming to Sydney for today’s very important meeting. I did note at the beginning of our deliberations here in Sydney, that we were meeting at the time of the national memorial occurring in Christchurch. We of course noted and recorded our own deepest sympathy to those victims of the horrific Christchurch terrorist attack, their friends, their families, and the people of New Zealand at this very, very difficult time.

It is the 11^th SAJMC, which I think points to the depth, the breadth, the longevity, the importance of the Australia-Singapore partnership, marked of course by the establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) just two Joint Ministerial Committees ago. We agreed today in both our private and more open discussions to look for new ways to cooperate bilaterally, regionally and globally on a number of counts, and certainly counter-terrorism and the countering of violent extremism on all fronts is one of those. Our countries are like-minded neighbours, and important and strategic economic partners. Our links are longstanding: people-to-people links, in politics, in defence and education, and those people-to-people ties are growing every single year.

I want to thank our Singaporean colleagues for their steadfast commitment to the CSP, and through that CSP we are continually deepening and broadening our engagement and collaboration across all four of its pillars: economics and trade; defence, security and foreign policy; innovation and science; and again people-to-people engagement. Our talks today have also underlined the importance of an open, prosperous and rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific, and of course globally. On cybersecurity, we affirmed our deepening cooperation in the face of an increasingly challenging threat that has seen attacks in both our countries. Our education and research, tourism, arts and cultural links are also integral to our people-to-people relationship and our bilateral relationships. They continue to grow, supported by both of our airlines, our energetic universities, and those warm and close personal links which have been developing over so many years.

I want to thank Vivian and his colleagues very much for such a warm and constructive dialogue today, at a time of great complexity in the strategic environment, and at a time where it is ever more important that countries like Singapore and Australia stand up together, work together, collaborate effectively, and prosecute the importance of the rules-based global order in all that we do. Vivian.

Minister Vivian Balakrishnan: Thank you. I want to thank Marise, Christopher, and Simon for your usual warm Australian hospitality. It’s always a pleasure to be back here. I recall being here three years ago for the 9^th SAJMC. In fact, I also recall within a month or two thereafter, we completed the negotiations for the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, signed it, and we have spent the last two-and-a-half years implementing it.

I was just checking on some figures. The upgraded Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement came into force in 2017, and bilateral trade between our two countries increased by 25.8 per cent year-on-year last year. So just imagine, between 2017 and 2018, an increase of 25 per cent. I think this is record-breaking, and especially at a time like this when there’s a pushback against globalisation, multilateralism and free trade. For us to be able to record that kind of figures gives real meat to this concept that Australia and Singapore are strategically aligned and our economies are complementary. But there is potential to do a lot more based on this momentum. We discussed earlier this morning the possibility of updating our Double Taxation Agreement, to explore further opportunities on an Open Skies Agreement. But at the strategic level, Singapore serves as a launch pad, as a portal, as a hub for Australian businesses that are expanding to take advantage of opportunities in Southeast Asia.

Southeast Asia has a combined GDP of more than US$2.7 trillion, and a population of 630 million which is still young. There’s a demographic dividend, and there’s a development potential to be harvested, and we believe that our relationship between Australia and Singapore places you in a position to take advantage of these opportunities. So there’s a lot more that we can do to make sure we future-proof our economies, and we’re also exploring other new areas including cybersecurity, the digital economy, and agri-food safety and cooperation. So all in all, we’ve had a very forward-looking set of discussions. I’m going to open the floor now to my colleagues.

Minister Christopher Pyne: Thank you Vivian, it’s a great pleasure to be here, and Eng Hen and I of course as the two Defence Ministers have had a warm relationship, and have for some years when I was Minister for Defence Industry before that. The relationship with Singapore is one of our closest and most important in the world, and of course in ASEAN as well. It has five significant components that we have reaffirmed today – the Australia-Singapore military training initiative – which of course is a very significant and unprecedented investment in Australia by Singapore in Queensland, and the first time that Australia has allowed such a large scale training initiative on our soil. The closeness of the relationship allows that to happen with great confidence. We are continuing to expand the science and technology aspect of our defence relationship, testing unmanned aerial vehicles together, and placing a CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) office in Singapore. We discussed today the enhanced collaboration around personnel exchanges, and Singapore is hosting this year’s first substantial personnel exchange of military personnel being embedded in Singapore.

And of course we look forward to the future to the porting on occasion of our offshore patrol vessels, using Changi Air Base for our Poseidons when that needs to be done, which is an important military-to-military relationship and one that we feel needs to continue to be enhanced. And finally, of course and most significantly, is the intelligence-sharing, analysis, and training we do between our two countries which protects us—both our countries and the ASEAN region—from returning foreign terrorist fighters, and also those who might seek to hurt us in our own communities. That intelligence-gathering capability, which is sophisticated on both sides, for the Singapore and Australia relationship, has been enhanced by Singapore’s own investments in counter-terrorism and cybersecurity, which I will allow Eng Hen to talk about should he wish to do so.

Minister Ng Eng Hen: Let me echo Minister Vivian Balakrishnan. A word of thanks to Ministers Marise Payne, Christopher Pyne and Simon Birmingham. I agree completely with my colleague, Minister Christopher Pyne, that for defence ties between Australia and Singapore—it’s extremely bright. It is good innings and we expect much better results moving forward. We talked about the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA): how the 50^th year is coming up, and how it was the progenitor of multilateral relationships and forged a path for other countries. We talked about ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus, which still remains inclusive, including both China and US within that framework.

For bilateral ties, we talked about the good progress of the, especially what we are jointly building in the Shoalwater Bay and Townsville area. It is unique on two points. One is that in 2015, the government committed future governments to not only develop but complete developing this. To train, to be allowed to train for 25 years, and that is very unique. The second point, I think the uniqueness is the fact that it is a physical icon. You know when you talk about the Eiffel Tower, it reflects the American-French relationship. What we’re building in these two areas, to me, is a physical embodiment of those extremely close ties that Australia and Singapore have. And we are looking forward to the presence of more Australian planes and ships, including your (P-8A) Poseidons and your patrol vessels, in our air bases as well as in Changi.

Let me just close off by saying that when it came to counter-terrorism, we again agreed on the need to have intelligence-sharing, both in anticipation of the returned fighters from Iraq and Syria, as well as unfortunately, the expected reprisals coming out from the Christchurch incident.

Minister Simon Birmingham: Thank you very much, and thank all of my colleagues today from Singapore and Australia for a very rich and engaging conversation in relation to the extent of our trade and economic cooperation, and some of the challenges that we face in terms of the global trade environment. Australia and Singapore have such rich and strong cooperation, bilaterally, regionally, and multilaterally in terms of trade and economic cooperation facilitation. Our relations are as strong as they have ever been, and also that cooperation is perhaps as important as it has ever been in the face of those global headwinds to trade liberalisation that we both encounter in different parts of the world. That’s why it’s important that we recognise today, the cooperation that we have together bilaterally which has been referenced already, in updating the Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement, and the success that has already yielded in terms of trade flows, and the strength of the investment flow between Singapore and Australia.

Recognise also our close partnership and having been partners in finalising the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership, an important agreement bringing together 11 nations in a strong regional platform that has, indeed, very clearly demonstrated that even when other nations step away and do not progress with trade liberalisation, countries like Singapore and Australia can work cooperatively to achieve that end result and to do so successfully.

Equally, we celebrate most recently, our success at the World Trade Organisation; Singapore, Australia, and Japan providing our leadership in commencing negotiations around e-commerce provisions and new rules-making for the WTO, demonstrating that we can proceed in terms of the development of an international rules-based order via the WTO. We have a rich agenda to continue that strong momentum in trade and economic cooperation and visions to see the finalisation this year of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement with our ASEAN partners and other partners in the region. We continue to work towards WTO reform, our commitment bilaterally to issues of food security and digital economic cooperation—all of them being rich areas that we are determined to continue to advance cooperation on successfully.

Minister Chan Chun Sing: Thank you Marise and Simon. I can’t agree more with Simon on the shared interests that Australia and Singapore have, not just on the bilateral front, but also on the regional and international front. I think we had great discussions on how we as like-minded partners, can progress together to not only refresh the current WTO regulations, taking into account the current and changed realities from the time since the WTO was formed. But I think we are also working together to constantly break new grounds, for example on the JSI, the Joint Statement on e-commerce, which will allow many countries like Singapore and Australia to come together and seek new opportunities on the digital economy or the digital front. We see this as a tremendous opportunity for us to work together to seize these new opportunities brought about by technology and greater connectivity.

We also agreed that we would need to strengthen our cooperation in the areas of progressing the CPTPP and the RCEP. We’re very happy to hear that other members are inspired to come on board the CPTPP, and we will try to reignite the momentum for the RCEP after the series of regional elections. On the bilateral front, I think we are very happy to be able to discuss new areas of cooperation, in the area of FinTech, in the areas of innovation and start-ups, and I think this is also yet another sign that we are not resting on our laurels. While we have made tremendous achievements on the trade and investment fronts, we are constantly looking for new opportunities to strengthen our relationship further. So, all in all, very happy to see the progress made, and even more encouraged to see the plans that we have in place.

ABC News: Michelle Brown representing ABC News. How does Australia think Singapore’s decision to buy F-35 fighter jets from the US will affect relations with China and the geo-politics of the region in general?

Minister Pyne: The decision of Singapore with respect to their air force F-35s, or any other platforms, is really a matter that the Singaporeans can respond to, and how it will affect their relationships geo-strategically in the region. I can say on behalf of Australia that we very much welcome Singapore joining the F-35 club, the Joint Strike Fighter club. I can also say that Australia has won, over the last three years, the vast majority of opportunities to maintain, repair, overhaul and upgrade the F-35s that are operating in the Asia-Pacific region. And the fact that Singapore will join Australia in operating F-35s, along with South Korea and Japan, means that Singaporean F-35s will be able to be maintained here in Australia, if necessary. We have also won the capacity to do the warehousing, refit the engines, and look after what used to be called the fuselage. So this just ties Singapore and Australia even closer together. We are very happy with our decision to take part in the Joint Strike Fighter programme since its inception. It was a good decision of the previous Coalition government and I think Singapore is a very welcome participant in it.

Minister Ng Eng Hen: We have been on record—put on record that our acquisition of platforms is for our own purposes, defence diplomacy, and not directed against, or to align ourselves, to any particular country. So that is on record. It is as ridiculous to say that if we bought submarines from [the] Germans, which we have, that it was directed at a country in Europe. You do not ask that question. I think it will help for us when it does assist us in operating with other countries who use the F-35s in the future. I think that is certainly opportunity for interoperability and training.

CNA: Roger Maynard from Channel NewsAsia. Two-part question for the Singapore delegation. What precisely did the meeting discuss about future joint military operations between the two countries, and to what extent did the meeting touch on relations with China and its continued expansion in the South China Sea?

Minister Balakrishnan: We certainly did discuss China and the key challenge for both Australia and Singapore given our very strong economic links with China on one hand, and strategic defence and security links with America. The ideal world for both Australia and Singapore is a rules-based, inclusive, world order, where there is free-trade, there is economic integration, where you do not get a bifurcated world both technologically and economically. If we can reaffirm this multilateral rules-based world order, Australia and Singapore will be well-poised. We’ll have the wind in our sails to progress on our remarkable economic journey.

The strategic challenge for us right now is that it is clear that America and China are working out a new modus vivendi. This is something which we don’t have a say on, but will affect us. So we need to be prepared for the at-this-point still uncertain evolution of this most critical relationship for the entire world. Having said that, we are not just passive passengers on a journey to a destination which we have no preferences for. If you look in the past year, year and a bit, Australia and Singapore have done more than our fair share. For instance, with the pursuit of the CPTPP, we both continue to stand for a rules-based world order where multilateral free-trade agreements have a role to play.

With respect to the South China Sea, I think you should take a step back and look at it strategically. The first point is: we believe in a multilateral rules-based world, and in particular, the primacy of international law and the 1982 UNCLOS. The second point: for both Australia and Singapore, indeed for our entire region, is that the South China Sea is a vital artery for international trade. Any tension—don’t even talk about conflict—any tension in the South China Sea will affect trade. Risk premiums go up; it will affect us profoundly. The third point, and that relates to our efforts in negotiating a Code of Conduct—without getting into the details, the critical point is this: we are trying to build confidence, explain each other’s—for all countries involved—our respective core interests, our concerns, our anxieties, and how best we can assuage these in order to achieve the overriding imperative of maintaining peace, stability, open trade, adherence to international law and to UNCLOS. So we have got our hands full. This is work in progress, but I will say; so far, based on the last couple of years, we are moving in the right direction.

Australian Associated Press: Tom Rabe from Australian Associated Press. Mr Pyne, do you regret calling on Beijing to act with great responsibility in the South China Sea at a recent speech in Singapore, given that it has contributed to trade tensions?

Minister Pyne: Well, I don’t accept the premise of the question. I gave the speech at the Fullerton Forum at the invitation of Eng Hen in fact, and when I gave it, it was very well-received by the people present – if I do say so myself.

Minister Ng: I’ll confirm it. It was very well-received.

Minister Pyne: Thank you Eng Hen. And it was also well-covered here in Australia by the press in a very mature and sensible way. And nobody suggested—not that that was uncharacteristic of the press of course—and nobody suggested at that time that it was controversial or that it would create any tensions in the region. So this is a construction that has been created very recently based on anonymous sources, completely unidentified, by the journalist that wrote that story. What I said in that speech, which is very much what Vivian has just said about the role of China and the United States, is that Australia understands that one of our most significant challenges is the great power competition between the United States and China, and that we all have to act maturely, sensibly, recognising that the role China sees for itself in the world, which is entirely appropriate. China has been a superpower for thousands of years and for anyone to suggest that China should be contained or limited—that would be a significant error of judgement. A better approach for the future is to work closely with both the United States and China to implement and support the international rules-based order, both economic and non-economic, which has, quite frankly, been one of the significant reasons for China’s economic rise. That, I think, is all quite unexceptional.

Straits Times: Hi, Jonathan Pearlman from the Straits Times. Just want to ask about responses to violent extremism in the wake of Christchurch. The Singaporean delegation talked about the threat of reprisals and I am just wondering if there have been any specific threats known following the Christchurch attacks. Secondly, just as a general response, in terms of cracking down on hate speech online, is that an area of potential cooperation, especially given Singapore’s role as a tech hub and Australia’s call for the G20 and other international bodies to respond. So is that an area where you could potentially work together?

Minister Payne: Jonathan, we have certainly agreed today that there is a significant opportunity for us to work together in terms of the initiative that the Prime Minister has taken by suggesting to Prime Minister Abe that these matters be placed on the agenda for the G20 meeting. That is something which we have agreed to cooperate further on. As you rightly observed, Singapore is in the box seat in relation to some of the technology capacity that is relevant here. And that is something which we have formally agreed would be averred to in our communique from today’s meeting.

In relation to your specific question on Singapore’s statements on reprisals, I’ll ask our Singapore colleagues to respond to that but I would say that most importantly in a trilateral meeting such as this between three ministers on each side, we have absolutely identified the need to ensure that wherever we see extremism, in whatever form it takes, we are calling it out. We are addressing it, we are working collaboratively, in our region, to reduce and to deter those who would seek to cause us harm in terms of their extremist activities and to reduce the impact of it.

Minister Balakrishnan: Hate speech and its more violent expression of terrorist crime is a clear and present danger. What is clear in more recent days is that it’s not confined to one wing or the other. But the common threat that it poses to our societies is that it is really aimed to sow division and discord and to gut out the broad middle, which has been the pillar of stability and progress for our societies. The advances in digital technology, the rise of new media, and the impact that has caused of having broad casting being replaced by narrow-casting, and the development of echo chambers, which affirm and sometimes inflame very partisan views, has not helped to build and strengthen the broad centre. So this is a clear and present danger. Both Australia and Singapore recognise this. There is a need for the internet technology companies to also take responsibility. They will have to be part of the solution. Again, this is work in progress, but I think we don’t need to be convinced anymore that this is a clear and present danger which requires urgent action, and it is something which governments, private sector and civil society will have to engage on.    

Minister Payne: Thank you everyone.

.     .     .     .     .