Asean needs to stay neutral and united amid US-China tensions: Tommy Koh

[superadmin]

SINGAPORE - Asean's unity and neutrality is what allows the grouping to be the convener of regional processes, and it needs to maintain that role amid stormy United States-China relations, Singapore's ambassador-at-large Tommy Koh said on Tuesday (May 25).

He was speaking at the Straits Times Connect webinar series Power Play: Stormier Days For US-China Ties? which included US correspondent Charissa Yong and China correspondent Danson Cheong. The session was moderated by ST foreign editor Bhagyashree Garekar.

Professor Koh said Asean will lose its edge the moment it is disunited or starts to take sides.

He added: "My appeal to my Asean brothers and sisters is to understand that we have this unique role to play in the regional processes because we are united and we are neutral. And the moment we become partisan or disunited, we lose that role."


Relations between the US and China have deteriorated in the past few years as the two countries clashed on a number of issues such as trade, human rights, technology, security and defence.

The tensions have spilled over into the public sphere. Ms Yong said that there is a sharp rise in anti-China sentiments in the US, especially among those in the Republican Party, conservatives and the more politically inclined citizens.

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