BEIJING – Whichever candidate wins the United States presidential election in November, Singapore will have to work with the American leader to ensure peace in the region, said Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen.

Speaking to reporters in Beijing on Sept 13, Dr Ng said that each country must take care of its own defence needs, and work with other countries in the region to maintain peace, “whoever the leader of another country is”.

“I’m not sure it’s that productive to figure out what happens in the US... Our peace and prosperity cannot be solely dependent on the leader of another country,” he said, when asked about the possible implications of a second Donald Trump presidency.

“Yes, the leader of another country can precipitate events, but you have to prepare for both (candidates), and you have to work with whoever is the next president of the US.”

Dr Ng was giving an interview to Singapore and Chinese media on the sidelines of the 11th Xiangshan Forum, a high-level international security forum akin to Singapore’s Shangri-La Dialogue.

His trip to Beijing from Sept 11 to 13 was his 10th visit to China as defence minister.

US Vice-President Kamala Harris and former president Trump are currently locked in a closely matched contest to be the next US president, in an election which has attracted global attention as it would likely affect American foreign policy.

At his interview, Dr Ng noted that in 2019 under the Trump administration, Singapore and the US extended an agreement that allows continued US military access to the Republic’s air and naval bases for another 15 years.

Singapore has worked with both Democratic and Republican presidents. “So I don’t expect it to be different, whoever the next president is,” Dr Ng said.

“You have to deal with it, and you have to make sure you have enough mechanisms in the region so that not a single factor, whoever is president, can topple that architecture,” he added.

On the issue of the South China Sea, where China and the Philippines have clashed repeatedly over the past year, Dr Ng said the starting point is that all parties involved – whether claimant states or not – want peace.

The question now is about how to move the situation further back from actual physical conflict.

A possible solution discussed at the Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) was to extend a set of guidelines for dealing with collisions at sea, called Cues, beyond navies to also include coast guards and law enforcement ships, said Dr Ng.

The ADMM-Plus is a dialogue between Asean and eight partners – Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the US – to discuss security-related issues.

Dr Ng said: “So I hope that there are mechanisms – whether it’s Cues or other mechanisms – that are built in so that you prevent escalation and mishaps.”

Expanding Cues was a suggestion made in his speech earlier on Sept 13 at the forum, when he said he hoped that dialogue between Beijing and Manila will continue after “incidents at other disputed areas have cropped up”, despite an earlier effort by the two sides in July to moderate tensions.

A recent flashpoint occurred at Sabina Shoal, where the Philippines has deployed a coast guard ship for more than four months in an attempt to deter what it believes are Chinese efforts to take over the reef.

The shoal is located some 75 nautical miles from the Philippines and 630 nautical miles from China, and is claimed by both sides.

Dr Ng said: “China and Asean should also continue to make progress on the South China Sea Code of Conduct based on international laws and norms.

“I suggest that there should be an expeditious conclusion to this, to reduce the often-cited criticism that China and Asean should do without external forces.”

China has often described US actions to support its treaty ally Manila in the South China Sea dispute as “external interference”, which Beijing opposes.

In his speech, Dr Ng also spoke about China’s role in enhancing peace and stability globally, alongside its growth as an economic and military power.

He noted that China, as a global leader, has articulated its desired norms and rules that will achieve its vision of a regional and world order, including the principles of universality and inclusivity.

“When President Xi (Jinping) visited Singapore in 2015, he noted that China had always advocated the idea that the strong and rich should not suppress or oppress those weaker and poorer.

“The reassurance from China regarding adherence to international law, that its growth will continue to lift all boats, will build support for that inclusive vision.”

This is even as the risk of a conflict in the region has grown in the last few years, with events such as the Russia-Ukraine war, turmoil in the Middle East and US-China competition in Asia.

Dr Ng was elaborating on a speech he gave in Parliament in February, where he made the assessment that the risk of regional conflict in the next decade has become “non-zero”, because of such geopolitical developments.

“I think you must be very optimistic or sanguine to say that the risk of conflict is still zero. I don’t sense that any objective person knowing all the facts would say that,” he said in the Sept 13 interview.

“Not only myself, but I think Singaporeans, the man on the street, (feel) that too. In my conversations with others, I noticed a significant change. There is no difficulty convincing Singaporeans that you need a strong defence today.”