Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan's Oral Reply to Parliamentary Questions on ASEAN's Engagement of the United States under the Trump Administration

QUESTION

Mr Neil Parekh Nimil Rajnikant: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) what does Singapore consider the key priorities for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in its relations with the United States (US) under the new Trump administration, bearing in mind the US President’s absence from ASEAN summits during his first term as President; and (b) what messages will Singapore convey to its US counterparts during the ASEAN country dialogues and at the East Asia Summit under the chairmanship of Malaysia.

REPLY

          Mr Speaker, the short answer to Mr Neil Parekh's question is economics. Trade, investment, energy.

2        The United States remains a critical partner for Singapore and for ASEAN. The United States' presence in our region has in fact underpinned peace, stability and prosperity in Southeast Asia for many decades. The United States is, by a significant margin, the largest foreign investor in ASEAN. The United States is also ASEAN's second largest trading partner. The United States has been an active supporter of ASEAN, and this includes strengthening collaboration in new growth areas. For instance, in artificial intelligence, cyber security and the energy transition.

3        The omnidirectional engagement on the part of ASEAN towards the United States, China, EU, India, Australia, and indeed all the middle powers, along with our emerging links with Africa and South America, is an essential aspect of ASEAN's vision for an open, inclusive and rules-based regional architecture. We believe that this is the way to secure peace and prosperity. It is also based on an appreciation of the fact that, in contrast to many other parts of the world, Southeast Asia remains at peace and has good prospects for significant growth in the decades to come.

4        In this respect, the United States' commitment to the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, which they have expressed on previous occasions, is a reaffirmation of this point. We will keep emphasising the mutually beneficial nature of ASEAN's interactions and engagement with the United States. This engagement will continue to contribute to the mutual benefit of both ASEAN and the United States, and create an area in this part of the world which is safer, stronger, and more prosperous.

5        It is worth reminding this House that if you add cumulatively all the economies of the members of ASEAN, we already constitute the world's fifth largest economy. We expect to be on track to become the world's fourth largest economy by 2030. The trade and investments from the United States into our region supports hundreds of thousands of jobs in Southeast Asia, but similarly, it also supports over 600,000 jobs in the United States. The point here is that this is a mutually beneficial relationship. ASEAN's rapidly developing economics presents significant opportunities for American companies, including in areas like critical minerals, energy, manufacturing, technology, including digital and artificial intelligence.

6        Another point worth emphasising is that one-third of global trade passes through the critical shipping lanes in Southeast Asia, including the Straits of Malacca, the Straits of Singapore, and beyond that, the South China Sea. The United States' presence in our region, both economically and therefore also in having interests to protect from a defence perspective, has been crucial to maintaining stability and opportunities in our part of the world. And of course, from an ASEAN perspective, the primacy of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) - which sets out (the legal basis for) maritime entitlements, avenues for peaceful resolution of disputes, and the right to freedom of navigation and overflight - is crucial for ASEAN, both from a stability point of view as well as economic prospects for the future. So, Mr Speaker, we will continue to work with our partners in ASEAN to continue to seek opportunities for high-level engagement with the new US Administration.

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SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION

Mr Neil Parekh Nimil Rajnikant: I thank the Minister for the comprehensive response as well as the comprehensive discussions during COS with all the other political office holders. My question is related to Ukraine. Does the Minister envisage a role for ASEAN or Singapore in the peace negotiations that hopefully will get underway very soon, similar to the way we made an effort to bring the US and North Korea together a few years ago?

REPLY

          The short answer is no.

2        There are far more proximate partners and stakeholders in the dispute, in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, than Southeast Asia. So, the short answer is no. Having said that, let me give a Southeast Asian perspective.

3        If you look at the votes of the ten ASEAN Member States, you will find that all of us in our votes and in our explanation of votes at the UN have emphasised the importance of the UN Charter and the principles of sovereign equality, political independence and territorial integrity. ASEAN, perhaps also because of our past experience in the Cold War, has absolutely no intention of allowing ourselves to be a future arena for proxy wars and we will certainly have no intention to allow ourselves to be caught in the strategic contestations between superpowers in the future. So, bear in mind ASEAN's history, ASEAN's prospects for the future, and our adherence to international law and the UN Charter.

4        And that is why I began my answer to you just now with the short answer. And I may add, I had an introductory telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio last night, and the both of us emphasised economics. So, trade, investments, energy.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

6 MARCH 2025