 Thank you. Good afternoon. If we could ask everyone to take their seats and we'll move along. I'm Michael Green from CSIS and Georgetown University and it's my pleasure to introduce our luncheon speaker and I'll also be moderating the session that follows with a panel of distinguished Singaporean and American strategic thinkers. Chi-Wi Kyeong is the second permanent secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Singapore. He previously served as the director of the division responsible for security and intelligence and before that had a career in the Singapore Air Force in Air Defense Artillery, was trained in that and in command of staff here in the United States at Maxwell Air Force Base. Yeah, a good Alabama Singapore weather. You're lucky they didn't send you to Alaska or someplace. The remarks by Secretary Chi-Wi Kyeong will be on the record. The questions and answers will be on the record. When we shift into the panel discussion we'll go into our Chatham House rules. Welcome and thank you for joining us. I saw Admiral Bled just now I thought I would do a confession that we were fellow intelligence chief in a respected country for several years and recovering the intelligence chief. And the relationship between our two countries are indeed a very strong one and I think both of us can attest to that that both in the former and as well as through the security intelligence channel we work closely together. We spend many evening and mornings making assessment for respective prime ministers and president and wondering what should keep them awake in the night. So very quickly I did some assessment for this talk and I say it's not in a very good situation. Firstly, you're talking during lunch. Secondly, you're the permanent secretary to the foreign minister so everything that need to be said must have been spoken. So the situation is not very good but I quickly make another assessment that we have three ministers lining up and there's a lunch in between so you need to find a diplomat to fuel up the in between during lunchtime. So I'm not going to spend too much time talking because as I say all the good points the punchy issue have all been stated by my foreign minister but Secretary Clinton wrote in the November foreign policy that the key driver for global politics in the coming decades will be the Asia-Pacific and and I fully concur with that assessment that indeed this will be an Asia-Pacific century. My minister have spoken about the economic realities how the world fastest and largest green economies in Asia about how the potential economic potential have shifted to the East but there's also the reality that more than half of the world population live in Asia and Asia is also home to established and rising military powers. Spanning of military capacity have increased steadily because as country look towards a whole myriad of security challenges that they have to face however the narrative of Asia-Pacific century is still a story that is unfolding what Asia is the most dynamic region in the world that remains much to be uncertain about with the rapid growth new points of strategic tensions and conflict will emerge as state seeks to secure access to sea lanes energy resources pursue their trade economic interests this could lead to flexing of newfound military powers to also duplicate their increasingly nationalistic and also increasingly confident population in Asia the US China relationship will continue to dictate the complexion of developments in the region potential first point like the South China Sea is China sea current peninsula cannot but reflect the larger geopolitics in play currently the predominant thinking in the region is that it does not see a zero sum game between us and China Asia Asians believe that is big enough Asia is big enough to accommodate both a rising China and the US most Asian countries also believe that the US continued denied presence and engagement with China can make China a more responsible and international citizen with a positive stakeholder for the region and that can provide space for smaller countries like Singapore in Asia itself there is the recent global development have continually to remind Asian that we live in an increasingly interconnected world the 20 away financial crisis are still very much in the mind of Asian countries they realize that stuttering recoveries elsewhere in the global economy will ripple outward and affect Asia perhaps we even with the threat of financial contagion even what happened in the Middle East the Arab Spring has an impact on the psyche of Asian countries partly because most Asian country or many Asian countries are still very much dependent on Middle Eastern oil and also Asia is the home to the largest Muslim population another factor is also the usage of social media as well as the demise of long and trans dominant political regime in the Middle East has way heavily in the calculation of many Asian governments and they are concerned about domestic stability amidst all these uncertain environment Asian country know that they are facing increasingly multifaceted complex and rapidly evolving challenges these challenges is transnational and respect no international boundary they include issues like fiscal security energy security pandemic proliferation of weapon of mass destruction just to name a few it's well recognized that these challenges are too large for any country to tackle alone mindset that this regard whole of government thinking or partnership with silver and private sector or partnership with extra regional country will quick become obsolete as the strategic uncertainty become the new norm for Asia Asian countries recognize the need for security partnership that extend well beyond traditional defense partnership this afternoon I would like to touch touch on three aspects of it the first one is the regional architectures that is centered around ASEAN ASEAN has developed several regional architectures to maintain regional stability and prosperity in East Asia through the engagement of key stakeholders both in and outside the region this includes the ASEAN plus one ASEAN plus three the ASEAN defense ministerial meeting plus the ASEAN regional forum and the East Asia summit these frameworks form a mosaic of multiple overlapping structure with ASEAN at the center they have developed organically in response to different needs at different times on the first look it may appear untidy but each structure plays its own unique role and complement the others in reflecting the region's the region's diversity in an increasingly breeder international environment having such overlapping architecture will make the regional framework more robust in our view and able to withstand shocks while aimed at different purposes these four are all anchored on some fundamental principle common fundamental principle like building trust through open and inclusive dialogue commitment to cooperation and collaboration and respect for international norm and international law large multilateral forums such as the ARF the East Asia summit the ADMM plus comprise a broad and inclusive framework also to encourage cooperation on concrete initiative both within the region and the extra regional country let me just touch on the EAS the EAS is now more significant given the former entry of the US along with Russia US participation will contribute to a more robust and resilient regional architecture which will in turn promote regional stability and economic prosperity it will also enrich the discussion on strategic issue even as the EAS country continue to focus on strengthening functional areas pursue aSEAN connectivity and even pursue some economic cooperation there's a talk about having a comprehensive economic partnership for East Asia currently the East Asia summit the EAS identified five priority area for functional cooperation namely finance education energy disaster management as well even through prevention and the EAS members focus today is to put meat on the bones in these functional areas so that EAS can bring tangible benefit to both member states as well as their people the second aspect of security partnership that I want to touch on is the 1.5 the track 1.5 meetings that that is happening within the region and one of the most dominant and well-known one is the Shangri-la dialogue that is organized by double i double s the Shangri-la dialogue has helped to foster a norm of dialogue of a norm of dialogue the broadening scope of participants in the recent 2011 meeting have some 31 ministers defense ministers and vice ministers and tendons together with many intelligent chief at the dialogue itself and it serves to a very important platform it's almost unconceivable that that you can bring some of this intelligent chief or defense minister to be at the same table so this one track 1.5 meeting at the Shangri-la dialogue have helped to float many ideas and put many issues that are otherwise not possible to be put at the table itself the third aspect besides having a former architecture centered around ASEAN having track 1.5 is the development of operational cooperation and this is vital as we talk about security partnership within Asia itself one of these groupings that we can touch on is the Malacca Strait patrol that have helped to build regional security enhanced trust between maritime forces and navies in the region itself Malaysia Indonesia Thailand Singapore have banded together to collaborate on our counter piracy effort via both the Malacca Strait sea patrol and the eye in the sky air patrol by the way the eye in the sky air patrol was first seated during the Shangri-la dialogue through a track 1.5 of dialogue this effort I would say have been successful in reducing incidents in the piracy within the Strait of Malacca in Singapore itself not only that the three littoral state Singapore Malaysia Indonesia have also worked along with IMO to develop cooperative mechanism to engage extra regional stakeholder to drive concrete operation operational cooperation or navigation safety as well as environment protection for the state such cooperative mechanism has provided a focal point for us to bring in key user state like the US Japan China Republic Korea and India so that resources can be put together to contribute and expertise can be put together for various projects another example of such possibility of successful operational cooperation is the regional cooperation agreement on combating piracy and armed robbery against ship in Asia what we call recap which is also an open and inclusive platform for governments to share and analyze data on piracy and armed robbery within the Asian region itself the recap information sharing center which is established in Singapore in 2006 has also helpful countries is meant by I think I will show some national form from 15 different places to enhance maritime domain awareness in the Asian region and it's now sharing a successful model and expertise with even littoral state of the Somali basin region what I'm trying to drive as that the principle of shared effort and inclusive cooperation that's behind this operational cooperation will transfer well to the region's effort in tackling future more sensitive security challenges example could be terror network in some the tree expect of having a former regional architecture having 1.5 dialogue as well as tangible operational cooperation will help stakeholder both within the region and outside the region to communicate and to cooperate together in the remaining time before we go into the qna let me talk a little bit about the role of the US in this overarching regional architecture all country desire to deepen understanding and for mutual cooperation both major regional and extra regional power have the necessary roles to play as to smallest country like Singapore Singapore has been a consistent and reliable partner of the US because we believe that the US has played and will continue to play a vital role in maintaining Asia's stability and prosperity just to sidetrack from my my script I think the fact that the US have been a benign force that have promotes stability and prosperity over many decades is a very strategic asset of the United States it's something that I think has been underestimated most countries are fearful of emerging at big powers but the fact that the United States have been there for many decades since the world war and have played a benign role and bringing stability and prosperity have created a strategic asset that I think many policy makers should take that into serious consideration. Singapore welcomes the significant strike that has been made over the course of the Obama administration in engaging the region. US-ASEAN relations have grown since US accession to the treaty of enmity and cooperation in Southeast Asia in 2009. Anywhere US-ASEAN leaders meeting have been convened for the last three years and we recognize this as a strong signal of US attention to our region during the most recent ASEAN US leaders meeting held in November 2011 the leaders adopted the ASEAN US plan of action for 2011 to 2015 as an updated framework for cooperation the US also announced is representative to the ASEAN US eminent persons group and launched several initiative on ASEAN connectivity maritime security food security youth program and education in ASEAN. These are all very positive indication of US interest in the region. President Obama's visit to Asia for the EAS last November after the successful APEC meeting in Honolulu was also the combination of the past three years of renewed US engagement with ASEAN. President Obama's announcement of the US commitment to be here to stay was positive and well received across the region as far as our assessment goal. The continued constructive presence of the US is welcome in the region where dynamism and growth are taking place yet despite the many high-level visits and substantive initiative that the US is undertaking with countries in the region the increasingly partisan mode in Congress and the many difficulties that the US economy faces are also not far in the mind of some Asian observers who were considered the sustainability of the US engagement. The focus on traditional military corporations have appeared to be the key outcome of the visits in November including the US rotation of Marines in Darwin and the step out of defense engagement with Philippine. In view of this Singapore being a friend of US have urged the administration and friends and partner that it's important for the US to continue to project a coherent and sustained policy of engagement towards Asia. The US can build on the past four years of engagement to broaden and deepen its cooperation with treaty allies new partner as well as regional institution especially ASEAN I think my minister have spoken quite a bit of that and I think that was his key message during this trip to US. Of course the US continue to play an active role in the ADMM plus and have provided strategic balance in the regional security architecture and we in Singapore welcome the US to continue to do that as well as we also would like to welcome Secretary Pernitta my fellow intelligent chief in my previous life that he will pick up Secretary Gates tradition of attending every Shangri-la dialogue during his time in office. This year will mark 35th year of ASEAN-US relation ASEAN is working towards its integration and community building target by 2015. It has a population of roughly 600 million economy about roughly US 1.5 trillion therefore ASEAN has the potential to be one of the worst most dynamic region and we believe that the US have plenty of scope to play a significant role in promoting this ASEAN growth. ASEAN is also where we believe the contest of idea between major powers will play out most intensely in the coming years therefore we believe that it's important that the US remain deeply involved in the region commit enough knowledge asset as well as enough capital personnel capital in this region not just strategically but also economically and in the people-to-people sector we believe that this is the way to build up a holistic US engagement and soft power asset within the region itself. In this regard beside apart from President Obama's taking part in the summit strategic discussion in the ES we have welcomed the US comprehensive engagement Asia including in functional areas of cooperation like health education humanitarian assistance and disaster belief. Singapore also believe that we can cooperate closely with the US through the US Singapore third country training program we believe that this is a strategic move not only to help to address the developmental gap and needs of the countries in the region but also to build up the trust and the sense of mutual cooperation within the region. So I'm going to stop here and I'll take whatever questions you have. Thank you very much. Thank you Ikang that was comprehensive and strategic and exactly the right way to start our session. Briefly abusing the prerogative of the chair I'd like to pick up on one thing you noted partisanship in the United States I'm not going to deny that's a problem but one thing I hope our friends from Singapore will detect in this conference and in your time here is how bipartisan Asia policy is in this town it is simply not conceivable to me that the next administration even if parties change would do anything different in terms of the trajectory of expanding engagement the way we have over the previous three administrations really and if you don't believe me the best place to look is American public opinion polls where for the first time in decades Americans by a wide margin now say Asia is the most important region to us and we're not just talking people in California or Hawaii we're talking people all across this this diverse country. Now resources other things we'll have a big debate about and that you know if I were in Singapore I suppose I would watch a little nervously but the direction the trajectory and direction I think has a lot of bipartisan support could I ask you gave a fantastic in fact the best taxonomy and assessment of the architecture in the region I've heard in some time typically when we have conferences on Asian security in Washington we start with our allies and then we kind of work our way and at the end we talk about EAS and regional architecture and typically in Singapore it's the reverse so I wonder if you could take just a minute or two and and and tell us how you see the state of and the relevance of America's alliances bilateral alliances in Asia to the architecture you're describing. As I say I think the the key asset that the US has that you have that case of evidence to show a global power that has enormous capabilities but yet have used those capabilities and asset in a benign way to create stability and peace that the countries in the region can prosper. I think I think that that that particular asset is is is strategic and I think it should be used carefully. I think whether is it allies or or partners that you have in Asia my own sense is that they all welcome the US continued presence I think in fact I think my minister hinted a bit to that that that we don't quite like the word pivot because we think that we should have this concept that it has always a continued presence and and and it has proven itself to to be a great asset in in the region that have allowed the countries in the region to prosper and to to grow in in a in a manner that respect international norm and international law so I don't see a big difference in that. Thank you I have a feeling this pivot word especially on the next panel is going to be pummeled and hammered and hit through the heart with a stake and then it will bounce up again tomorrow. The floor is open so we'd entertain your questions just raise your hand we have microphones yes ma'am. Samira Daniels Ramsey decisions a couple of times the term pluralism has come up and I would like to know specifically whether Singapore and perhaps other countries in Asia have a role in you know improving relationships among Muslims, Hindus, Christians and so forth. I think that is that in in Asia any country that can corner the market on that is doing the region a great favor. I think in in a in a sense Asian countries or Asian country have have tried to play that role I mean Malaysia recently just have a global conference on moderates where they try to promote moderates and thinking even though it is a country that is that is predominantly a Muslim country. So there are possibilities but of course each country will have to do it within the constraint of their own domestic politics. Thank you. Other questions for the secretary let me then bookend by asking the final question as well if I might. Again going back to your description of architecture one of the other aspects of architecture which is a misleading word because these things aren't really based on intelligent design they sort of grow organically but one of the other features now is this growth of mini lateral groupings from the Shanghai cooperation organization to the US Japan Korea tri-laterals US Japan India now. You didn't mention that but it's becoming an important feature of the landscape. Do you see that as a positive development potentially fraught with danger? I think the reason why I have focused on the the ASEAN centric architecture is I think speakers before they have alluded to that that when you have major powers and major shifting powers you require I think Charlotte alluded to that you require a third leg that has allowed this whereas you when you look at the Shanghai cooperation organization and so forth it does not provide that that form of a fundamental fundamentals that allow regional architecture to to develop so today the ASEAN centric one that particularly the EAS where you have also major extra regional power like the US the Russian the Chinese is a architecture that I see they have the greatest potential to develop. Wikong thank you let us all publicly thank you and then we'll take a brief moment to invite the rest of the panelists up on the stage. Thank you very much.