Adherence to common rules key to maintaining peace: Ng Eng Hen

US, China locked in a strategic fight in S. China Sea but don't want war, he says

- Mike Yeo

Countries around the world must abide by a set of common rules if the world is to continue having peace and stability, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said during his three-day visit to Germany that ended on Feb 16.

Dr Ng said this as he laid out how great power rivalry is shaping up in Asia, and the radical changes the latest US administration has made to its foreign policy, in speeches at the 61st annual Munich Security Conference (MSC) and other side-line events.

At a panel discussion at the MSC on Feb 15, he pointed to how both China and the US have been stepping up their military presence in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, as have some European countries.

For instance, China increased patrols around disputed territories in the South China Sea by 17 per cent in 2024, while the presence of its maritime militia has risen by 35 per cent since 2022, according to figures from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, a think tank.

Meanwhile, the US had, since 2011, negotiated 12 new defence sites in the Philippines and Australia and built new installations in Japan and Guam, according to a US congressional report. Altogether, it has about 140,000 troops at 29 military bases in the region.

Dr Ng urged countries to look at the strategic goals that these powers have in the region, aside from individual disputes.