WASHINGTON
- In an e-mail interview with The Straits Times ahead of an official visit by
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong - the first by a Singapore prime minister since
1985 - US President Barack Obama stressed the importance of the US-Singapore
relationship in his administration’s rebalance to Asia.
Mr Obama,
who will step down in January 2017 after eight years at the helm, also
expressed confidence that Washington's emphasis on the region will outlive his
presidency.
Here is
the full interview:
Q: You've had a relatively small number of state
dinners during your presidency and none for any country in South-east Asia. Can
you elaborate on your approach to state dinners and your decision to hold one
in honour of PM Lee and Singapore?
A: State visits are often an opportunity for the
United States to reaffirm our ties and friendship with our closest partners
around the world. This visit is an occasion to mark the 50th anniversary our
bilateral relationship with Singapore, which is one of our strongest and most
reliable partners in South-east Asia.
I look
forward to hosting Prime Minister Lee, whose friendship and partnership I
appreciate very much and with whom I’ve worked throughout my administration.
This will also be an opportunity for me to reciprocate the hospitality that the
Prime Minister and the people of Singapore showed to me during my visit to
Singapore for the APEC summit in 2009.
This
visit also reflects the important role that Singapore plays in the rebalance of
American foreign policy to the Asia Pacific. With Singapore’s partnership, the
United States in engaging more deeply across South-east Asia and Asean, which
is central to the region’s peace and prosperity. Singapore is an anchor for the
US presence in the region, which is a foundation of stability and peace. Both
our nations are committed to building a regional order where all nations play
by the same rules and disputes are resolved peacefully and this visit will be an
opportunity to continue deepening our cooperation on behalf of regional
stability and prosperity.
More
broadly, Prime Minister Lee and I will work to advance the US-Singapore
partnership across the board. We’re committed to sustaining the dynamism of our
economies with the Trans-Pacific Partnership—the highest-standard trade
agreement ever—which will support trade and innovation in both our
countries.
Singapore
was the very first South-east Asian nation to join the global coalition against
ISIL (ISIS) coalition, and we’ll work to sustain our momentum in destroying
that terrorist organisation.
We’ll discuss
how we can implement the Paris climate change agreement in order to protect
coastal cities like Singapore.
And
building on our Young South-east Asian Leaders Initiative, I’m hopeful that we
can continue expand the ties and cooperation between our young people and
students.
US'
REBALANCE TO ASIA TO ENDURE
Q: You've expressed some confidence that the US
commitment to Asia will not fade away after your presidency, primarily because
a majority of Americans understand the importance of the region. However, the
election campaign thus far seems to show that Americans are not convinced about
globalisation, even Donald Trump notwithstanding, Americans of all political
stripes seem to be turning inwards. Are you still as confident that the Asia
rebalance will persist? What will happen if your successor doesn't attend the
annual Asian summits and never hosts another Asean meeting like the one in
Sunnylands?
A: There’s no question that a lot of Americans
on both the right and the left are expressing some fears and frustrations about
the dislocations brought on by globalisation. Many of those frustrations are
legitimate and they need to be addressed.
But in an
interconnected world, I remain convinced that the best way to manage these
dislocations and to ensure our security and prosperity is to engage more deeply
with countries around the world, not less—especially in the Asia Pacific.
That’s
why, over the past eight years, the United States has worked hard to deepen
partnerships across the region and across South-east Asia in particular. We’re now a part of the East Asia Summit and
we have a strategic partnership with Asean.
At the US-Asean Leaders Summit I hosted earlier this year in Sunnylands,
California, we agreed to a set of principles that will shape the future peace
and prosperity of the region, from promoting innovation and furthering economic
integration to addressing transnational challenges like global health security
and climate change.
I’m
confident that America’s foreign policy rebalance to the region will endure
beyond my presidency because it’s in the national interest of the United
States. The United States has been a Pacific nation for over two centuries.
That’s not going to change. That reality transcends election cycles. And just
as our past has been integrally linked to the region, so, too, is our future.
The Asia Pacific is home to nearly half the world’s population, a growing
middle class and holds so much opportunity for us all. It’s no wonder that
America’s engagement in the region has strong, sustained, bipartisan support.
So I’ll be handing my successor a strong foundation—including closer ties with
Singapore—on which to continue building, and I’m optimistic that will happen.
TPP 'WILL
GET CONGRESS SUPPORT'
Q: On the TPP, many observers, including
Singapore's PM Lee, have said that if it doesn't happen this year, the chances
of it happening at all drop significantly. And that would be a big hit to US
credibility in the region. Do you agree
with that assessment and how optimistic are you that it will pass Congress this
year?
A: I remain committed to TPP because it’s a good
deal—for America, for the region and for the world. TPP advances America’s
economic and our strategic interests. It
would eliminate 18,000 tariffs – basically taxes -- on American products and
help us sell more American exports to the Asia Pacific. It levels the playing
field for our workers and helps to ensure countries abide by strong labour and
environmental rules. It will help strengthen our relationships with partners
like Singapore and lay the foundation for even greater cooperation in other
areas. It will make sure that we’re writing the rules for trade in the 21st
century.
That
said, I know that the politics around trade can be very difficult—especially in
an election year. There are legitimate concerns and anxieties that the forces
of globalisation are leaving too many people behind—and we have to take those
concerns seriously and address them. But the answer isn’t to turn inward and
embrace protectionism. We can’t just walk away from trade. In a global economy
where our economies and supply chains are deeply integrated, it’s not even
possible.
The
answer is to make sure that trade is working for our people by supporting good
jobs, reducing inequality and creating more opportunity. That’s what TPP does.
I’ll continue making the case for TPP, and I’m optimistic that the United
States Congress will ultimately support this landmark agreement.
SOUTH
CHINA SEA RULING 'LEGALLY BINDING'
Q: The permanent court of arbitration issued its
ruling on the Philippines South China Sea case on July 12. What is your
administration's approach to the ruling and how will it engage on it with a
Chinese government that has already indicated it does not recognise the ruling?
A: The United States is committed to a regional
order rooted in international rules and norms, including freedom of navigation,
and the peaceful resolution of disputes. That’s the only way to ensure our
common security. We believe that big nations should not bully smaller nations,
and that the sovereignty of nations must be respected. And we have long urged
that disputes be resolved peacefully, including through mechanisms like
international arbitration.
The
Philippines made a lawful and peaceful effort to resolve their maritime claims
with China using the tribunal established under the Law of the Sea Convention
(Unclos). The tribunal’s ruling delivered a clear and legally binding decision
on maritime claims in the South China Sea as they relate to China and the
Philippines—and that ruling should be respected. We believe this decision can
and should serve as an opportunity to renew efforts to address maritime claims
peacefully. And we continue to urge China and other claimants to work
constructively to resolve these disagreements, so that the South China Sea –
which is so vital to the global economy -- can be defined by commerce and
cooperation.
RULES-BASED
ORDER
Q: There is a belief in China that the US is
practising double standards and double talk and that this belief is impending
deeper progress in Sino-US ties. It is not a signatory to Unclos but is pushing
China to respect the international law. It is beefing up military alliances
with China's neighbours and conducting military operations in China's backyard
but issuing alerts over Beijing's military activities or modernisation. What is
your response to such views and what can future US governments in response?
A: The United States believes that every nation
should respect international law, including in the South China Sea. This is not
an area where we can pick and choose. It is in the interests of all of us—the
United States, China and the rest of the world—to make sure that the rules of
the road are upheld. These rules and norms are part of the foundation of
regional stability, and they have allowed nations across the region, including
China, to grow and prosper.
The
United States, therefore, works to ensure that any actions we take are
consistent with international laws and norms—including those reflected in the
Law of the Sea Convention. It’s worth remembering that our presence in the
region is nothing new. For more than 60 years, the United States has stood by
our allies and partners in the Asia Pacific. That includes our defence
partnership with Singapore, which stretches back more than two decades.
Moreover,
our alliances and partnerships are not directed against any nation. Rather,
they are focused on protecting and defending our common security and upholding
a rules-based order that undergirds the peace and prosperity of the region and
the world. In this work, we are grateful
for our continued partnership with Singapore.
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