Singapore caught between the US and China

Linette Lai, political correspondent, posted an article in thenewpaper on Hsien Loong’s National Day Rally speech on relations with the US and China. Below are a few points on the article.
 
Hsien Loong emphasized that ‘We must always be principle in our approach, and not swayed by emotions…When we agree with either major power, we will do so. When we cannot, we must maintain and explain our stand.’ This looks very simple and straight forward, a matter of principle. Unfortunately it is very hard to put to practice when the evil American Empire is violating all international rules and laws and fabricating fake news and false flag incidents to provoke and incite wars, conduct regime change and imposed unilateral sanctions like a terrorist against its chosen enemies. How could Singapore slitter through the American treachery without being entangled and looked like another evil little USA?
 
Relations with China is complicated by our Chinese majority with Singapore suffering from the hangover that it cannot be seen to be too close to China and offend the neighbouring countries, sensitive to domestic racial minorities and the Americans for being so. ‘If we support China, the US and other countries may think we do so because we are a majority-Chinese country and therefore accede to China.’ This view was in vogue in the days of Cold War rhetoric and propaganda when China was the enemy.
 
This legacy of the past when China was smeared as the devil, the threat to the region by the Americans and the West and gobbled up by the silly neighbouring countries as the unquestioned truth is becoming less credible given a stronger Chinese involvement in international affairs except for the incalcitrants that would not change the anti China programme implanted in their heads after a life time of reading American and western propaganda against China.
 
If Singapore is true in maintaining a principle position and relation with China, then there is nothing to fear. The Cold War mentality is over. The anglophile mentality is losing its grip. China is not the devil made out to be by the West. Singapore must be brave and strong enough to take its stand for or against China based on principles and not on fear and deference to the irrational emotions of its neighbours and the evil Americans and their anti China agenda.
 
Singapore is still beholden to the Americans if you understand what this meant. ‘The US is a major security partner, he said, noting that Singapore buys advanced military equipment from the US, trains with its troops and cooperates with its troops and cooperates with it on counter terrorism. (Why not the US be beholden to Singapore for allowing it to base its military forces in this strategic region to protect American hegemony?) On the economic front, the value and scale of US companies’ investments in Singapore outstrip those of any other country.’ So, would this position change when Chinese investments outstrip those of the Americans one day and Singapore be free from getting its armed twisted by the Americans and flirted with the Americans in regime change?
 
Unlikely. ‘We hope the US will continue to remain engaged in the Asia Pacific, and continue to safeguard regional peace and stability.’ This can be read by China as anti China, and American presence to safeguard the American Empire and hegemony and to cause instability for the interest of the American Empire… This ensures the security and prosperity of the whole region.’ Or to ensure the security and prosperity of the American Empire. Singapore has this blind spot about the Americans and could not see the evilness and mischiefs the Americans are doing in the region and the world. This position of Singapore is by choice.
 
If Singapore continues to take this position, it cannot blame others for seeing Singapore as the little USA and Singapore may have to pay a heavy price one day for siding with the Americans while proclaiming that it wants to be friends to both the US and China. Singapore cannot be neutral in its relations with the US and China as the US regards China as enemy. The same dilemma is affecting India and Pakistan’s relations with the US and China. Both want to have good relations with both but unable to do so.
 
Can Singapore do it, be friends to both the US and China without offending either one of them, without compromising its positions by siding with one against another? Singapore may want to have the cake and eat it but not so easy. And this would be more difficult if you have a foreign minister that is an anglophile, pro West and anti China. We have seen how disastrous the result would be when this happened.