Managing US-China Competition: The View from Singapore

In a speech on May 26, Secretary of State Antony Blinken outlined the Biden administration's policy toward China, which he characterized as the only nation with the will to alter the international order as well as an increasing amount of economic, diplomatic, military, and technological power to do so. According to him, the U.S. will concentrate on influencing Beijing's strategic environment to further its goals. In this period of strategic rivalry, use the three-word strategy of invest, align, and compete. The Indo-Pacific region has been designated as the U.S.'s top priority theater, while the Middle East and North Africa are also significant rival regions.

In this podcast, Jonathan invited Ambassador Bilahari Kausikan, former ambassador and Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In today's episode, They discuss the influence of the US-China Competition in the Southeast Asia region. They also discuss the difference between the Gulf region and the SEA region in terms of the people, culture, religion, and perspective in this geopolitics competition. Moreover, Ambassador Bilahari states that the SEA region welcomes these extra-national powers within the region as they are helping the economic growth of the countries and also maintaining the balance of power in the region. Lastly, the Ambassador gives some advice to the Gulf countries regarding US-China geopolitics.

Key Takeaways
The influence of US-China Competition in the SEA region
Comparison between the Gulf region and the SEA region
The China-Iran relationship in geopolitics
The role of Extra-nationals in the power balance in the SEA and East Asia
Advice and recommendations to Gulf Countries from our guest

Quotes
The US-China competition is competition within a system, one system of which the US and China are both vital and irreplaceable parts in a global system - Bilahari

We do welcome all external powers but don't follow its interests - Bilahari

China has good relations with everybody in the MENA region but it is not a sustainable position over the long run, and the Chinese know it and are not quite sure what to do about it - Bilahari

extra-regional powers are a very important pillar of their security. - Jonathan

Featured in this Episode
Jonathan Fulton
Nonresident Senior Fellow for Middle East Programs at the Atlantic Council. Assistant Professor of Political Science at Zayed University in Abu Dhabi
Profile: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/expert/jonathan-fulton/
Linkedin: https://ae.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-fulton-2627414b
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jonathandfulton

Bilahari Kausikan
Chairman, Middle East Institute, National University of Singapore
Former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore
Profile: https://www.iiss.org/governance/the-advisory-council/bilahari-kausikan

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
02:22 Influence in Southeast Asia
09:30 The Gulf region vs Southeast Asia
19:47 China and Iran relations
25:36 Extranational powers in the role of security
28:58 North Korea distrusts China
30:21 Binary of great power combination
33:17 US is a key in the Economic power in SEA
39:52 Advice to the Gulf countries
42:54 Conclusion

This podcast was produced by Heartcast Media.
https://www.heartcastmedia.com/