US now viewed in Asia as ‘a landlord seeking rent’ — Ng Eng Hen

SINGAPORE: Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen spoke at a leaders’ round-table discussion at the Munich Security Conference on Feb 14 on how, in Asia’s view, the United States has changed of late. Where the superpower was once seen as somewhat of a moral force, Dr Ng said it is now perceived as more similar to “a landlord seeking rent”.

The minister began his remarks by saying, “It is clear to all of us that we live in quite interesting times, that the assumptions that we have undertaken in last 80 years have now fundamentally changed.”

Dr Ng acknowledged the US had been the “moving spirit” behind many global developments after World War II. However, he said that of late, “America’s primacy has become the overriding consideration” –and this has come at the expense of bilateral and multilateral ties. He stressed the need to watch the responses of other countries to the US shift.

Dr Ng also touched on the importance of China and China’s relationship with the US, noting that it will affect trade in all countries. Citing the new “omnidirectional” tariffs that the US announced since President Donald Trump began his second term on Jan 21, he said that the key question is how much trade will be affected.

“It has been said that trade and security are two sides of the same coin, and one assumes that as trade dependencies shift, security alliances will follow,” Dr Ng said.

As for Asia, he cited the inaugural speech of President John F. Kennedy from over 60 years ago, wherein he said that “an iron tyranny” would not take the place of colonial control – “that was the moral legitimacy in which US presence was in our region,” said Dr Ng.

Now, however, “the image has changed from liberator to great disruptor to a landlord seeking rent”, he added.

Dr Ng ended his speech by saying, “Let me end by asking questions – who, if anyone, any one country or region or bloc, can step in if the US declines to protect the global commons and how effective, and against what resistance?”

US Vice President James David (JD) Vance gave a speech at the Munich conference that probably characterised the current US foreign policy. Mr Vance warned European nations that the greatest threat to the region was not China or Russia but the “danger from within”, and urged countries to legitimize populist movements within them.

“If you’re running in fear of your own voters, there is nothing America can do for you, nor, for that matter, is there anything that you can do for the American people who elected me and elected President Trump,” said Mr Vance. /TISG

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