Singapore urges feuding China, U.S. to stave off conflict

SINGAPORE — Singapore renewed its call on China and the United States to de-escalate tensions, warning of “great costs and hardships around the world” if the rival global powers do not step back from the brink.

U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is reportedly preparing to visit Beijing this week for talks. The two countries canceled or postponed the talks after the United States shot down what it said was a surveillance balloon off the coast of South Carolina in February – claims China has denied. Two weeks ago, China rejected a request for dialogue from U.S. defense officials at a security summit in Singapore.

Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Wang Ruijie said on Monday: “While we are now in a disturbing and indeed dangerous moment, none of this is inevitable. It is still possible to escape from confrontation and conflict, and both sides must do so.” Caixin Asia New Horizons Forum.

He added: “Unfettered and unfettered competition will have enormous costs and difficulties around the world. This is a major setback for all countries.”

The refusal and delay to talks has fueled global concern that a lack of communication between the world’s two largest powers could increase the risk of conflict at a moment of miscalculation.

Two recent aggressive actions by U.S. and Chinese naval vessels in the Taiwan Strait and by military aircraft in airspace in the South China Sea underscore the possibility.

“Countries in ASEAN and around the world don’t want to take sides because most of them have deep ties to these two big powers,” Heng said. “It is in every country’s interest, especially the United States and China, to develop a new architecture that enables inclusive and sustainable development.”