Former Singaporean minister for defence Ng Eng Hen (黃永宏) yesterday backed US President Donald Trump’s apparent move to prioritize ties with China over Taiwan, saying that approach could foster regional and global stability.
“He’s very clear that he’s prioritized the US relationship with China” over support for Taipei, Ng said in an interview with Bloomberg Television. “In my mind, I think that’s the correct prioritization for stability.”
The remarks from Singapore’s longest-serving defense minister came days after US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth omitted any reference to Taiwan in a closely watched speech at a key security forum.
Photo: Bloomberg
The omission fueled debate over whether the US is adopting a more cautious approach toward one of Beijing’s core interests.
Following his summit in May with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), Trump’s suggestion that a US$14 billion weapon sale to Taipei could be used as a “bargaining chip” also raised doubts over the degree and pace of US arms support for Taiwan.
The comments from Ng, who retired from politics last year, carry some weight in Singapore, one of Washington’s closest security partners in Southeast Asia despite not being a treaty ally.
Singapore has long supported a robust US military presence in the region, even as it maintains deep economic ties with China.
Ng said that governments from Europe and Latin America to Asia are already reassessing their longstanding relationships as Washington becomes more selective about where and when it projects power.
“The change in US trade and foreign policy within this last decade is the most pivotal change for our generation,” Ng said. “In geopolitics, it amounts to an earthquake, and there is a political tsunami coming.”
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