SIIA Chairman Simon Tay spoke to Phoenix Television News for a feature on Singapore and ASEAN’s relations with the US and China amidst China’s rapid rise, part of a series that Phoenix Television has been airing on this topic. The report was broadcast on 28 March 2017. A video embed is available below or from Phoenix Television.
Prof Tay: Now I hope that people in China understand that, on the part of ASEAN, we just don’t have the history of wanting to be under any one country. Even when America was the greatest power in the world, don’t forget that Indonesia, the largest ASEAN member, was a leader of the non-aligned movement. And look further out, India was a friend of Russia, and so was Vietnam. But I think in this sense, most of ASEAN will always seek to have a balanced relationship.