Singapore hopes US can stabilise relations with China

Singapore, July 29 (IANS) Singapore hopes the United States can stabilise its relations with China, since Asia depends on the stable US-China ties to have a “secure” and “predictable” environment, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said.

Loong made the remarks on Tuesday in an online interview hosted by Washington-based think tank Atlantic Council, reported local English-language newspaper the Straits Times on Wednesday.

The Singaporean Prime Minister also voiced hope that the coming US President, be it Republican or Democratic, can develop a bipartisan consensus on US-Asia relations so that the US foreign policy will be consistent and last beyond one administration, Xinhua news agency reported.

“If you can establish a stable, predictable policy with bipartisan consensus, I think it would be a great help to all your friends and partners who want to be able to depend on you and to rely on you, without the risk that one day the big power may suddenly decide its interests lie elsewhere,” he said.

Loong noted that Singapore will not exclude Chinese tech-company Huawei from its 5G networks bidding process, although Huawei was not chosen this time round.

“The bidders did not choose Huawei. But in some of the other aspects of the 5G networks, Huawei will be figured in, and in future bids I have no doubt it will be participating again,” added the Prime Minister.

–IANS

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