SINGAPORE'S INVOLVEMENT IN REGIONAL GROUPINGS (Objectives and roles)

The following question stood in the name of Mr Robert Chua Teck Chew -

Mr Robert Chua Teck Chew: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs what are Singapore's objectives and roles in our involvement in the various regional groupings, such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation, East Asian Economic Caucus, etc.

Mr Chia Shi Teck (Nominated Member): On behalf of Mr Robert Chua, Question No. 2, Sir.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr Wong Kan Seng): Mr Speaker, Sir, no country is big enough to stand alone. Even for the United States, it needs to be part of a larger North America Free Trade Area. The industrial economies have an exclusive club, the Group of Seven (G7). They meet annually at Heads of Government level, most recently in Tokyo.

Singapore's prosperity and security depend heavily on its trade, investment and political links with its Asian neighbours and the industrial economies. Our membership in regional groupings like ASEAN, APEC and the EAEC, etc. is essential to our prosperity and well-being. Our objectives are to ensure friendly political relations and economic cooperation with our neighbours and economic partners, who are also members of these groupings. They provide us with a network of friends and partners which helps us to protect our interests and creates new economic opportunities.

Singapore plays an active role in ASEAN and APEC, and we would do our part in helping the EAEC to take off. This active role gives us a stake in regional and international developments.

While the recent ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and the Post-Ministerial Conferences are still fresh in our minds, let me use them as an illustration. Between the ASEAN Summit and last month's ASEAN-PMC Ministerial Meetings, both chaired by Singapore, ASEAN has made significant progress in regional political and economic cooperation that serves the interests of Singapore and its ASEAN partners.

In order to meet the challenges of large economic groupings that may shut us out, and to deal with geopolitical uncertainties arising from the end of the Cold War, we have:

Firstly, agreed on an ASEAN Free Trade Area;

Secondly, strengthened our links with major economic partners like the US, Japan, China and the NIEs through APEC. We can help to develop APEC's links because the Secretariat has been set up in Singapore; and

Thirdly, started new networks for consultations on regional security, both within ASEAN and with the major countries of the Asia-Pacific, which can reduce future uncertainties.

The Government intends to continue to be active and constructive in ASEAN, APEC and the EAEC because they serve the interests of Singapore and its neighbours. Other regions, including Europe, have found it valuable to participate in the pattern of dialogue and cooperation ASEAN has established. ASEAN is not alone in moving in this direction. There is a global recognition that multilateral links have and will become more important in the post-Cold War era.

Dr Kanwaljit Soin (Nominated Member): Sir, with so many groupings, would the Minister consider the existence of a high-powered coordinating committee to see where our economic interests coalesce and where they conflict?

Mr Wong Kan Seng: Sir, there is no need for such a high-powered coordinating committee because all this work in dealing with external parties and our partners in ASEAN, APEC, etc., is coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.