Golez: Malaysia wants US presence to balance China:
SINGAPORE - Malaysian Defence Minister Hishammuddin Tun Hussein on Monday urged US President Donald Trump not to reduce US commitments in the Asia-Pacific region.
Noting that Trump "has a number of times highlighted the possibility of reducing certain US commitments overseas," Hishammuddin expressed "hope that he will reconsider, given how crucial the Asia-Pacific is to America's security and economy."
His remarks came at an international forum of top defence officials and academics held in Singapore to prepare for a summit of the Shangri-La Dialogue, an intergovernmental security forum that will be held in the city-state on June 2-4.
At the same time, Hishammuddin said, "it is perhaps timely that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations takes this challenge in filling up the vacuum as a result of certain policy changes that involve the superpowers of the world."
He suggested that the "Asean Defence Ministers Meeting Plus," which groups the 10 Asean members plus Australia, China, Japan, India, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia and the United States, could play a more important role in promoting practical military cooperation.
Hishammuddin described the US presidential election in November as one of two "cataclysmic" events that pose "an unprecedented set of challenges," the other being the withdrawal of Britain from the European Union.
"There is great concern that these populist movements may see confrontation with rival powers as a way to 'make their countries great again'," he said, alluding to Trump's repeated pledge in his campaign last year to "make America great again."
"There is also a tendency on the part of such forces to view important multilateral bodies, including the United Nations, with contempt," he said. "It would be very dangerous indeed if such ideas take root among many countries as it would weaken the global security architecture."
Southeast Asian countries in particular fear having to choose between the US and China should relations between the two sides deteriorate under Trump, rocking the current status quo of a balance of powers in the region.
Hishammuddin said there is a prevailing view now that "we are apparently being forced to choose the East or West, between China or the United States."
"However this goes against Asia's unique tradition of pluralism where different cultures, faiths and belief systems were able to co-exist and thrive for centuries," he said.
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had also expressed similar concerns last Friday about being forced to choose between the US and China.
If the US can maintain stable relations with China, "then it's easier for Singapore to be friends with both, if it becomes tense, then our space is narrowed," Lee said.
"If we are forced to choose, that's a very difficult choice which we will have to make. We have been friends with both and we want to be friends with both," he said.
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