Goh Choon Kang

Former journalist Goh Choon Kang notes the gap between the global north and global south, with more affluent countries not delivering on promises and commitments made to less developed countries. Is there hope of reconciling the strong and the weak?

US President Joe Biden raised hackles with his recent comment about China being a “ticking time bomb”, alongside observations about its economy and unemployment rate. Former journalist Goh Choon Kang examines the question of who is more likely to be a time bomb, and highlights that it serves no purpose for the US and China to be pointing fingers at each other.

Former journalist Goh Choon Kang notes that while talk of decoupling has changed to de-risking, the strategic intent behind it, targeting China, has not changed. But just relying on allies is not the best solution, and countries in Asia affected by the tide of de-risking would need to work together to jointly uphold multilateralism and free trade.

Former journalist Goh Choon Kang says the recent non-dialogue between China and the US at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore shows the two countries’ very different interpretations of maintaining the status quo, and their differing strategic goals. Moreover, the growing rivalry between both sides will bring spillover effects to the entire Asia-Pacific region.

Even as Asia-Pacific countries want to focus on trade and economic cooperation, geopolitical tussling — especially between the US and China — has got in the way of such efforts. Former journalist and MP Goh Choon Kang says that at a time when arms dealers have apparently become peacemakers, countries of this region must stay focused and not be sidetracked and dictated by the powers.

Former journalist Goh Choon Kang notes that while Singapore’s stand against the Russian invasion of Ukraine is clear, the conditions that led to the current situation are complicated, beginning with Ukraine's internal politics that weakened it considerably for others to take advantage of.

For years after the Cold War, given its military dominance, the US saw itself as instrumental to maintaining an “Asian peace”. With that mindset, the more it perceives China as a threat to its Asian primacy, the more it will be on the defensive. In truth, Asian peace was achieved through various efforts, and Asia-Pacific countries all have a stake in seeing it maintained.

Analysing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s recent visit to China, former journalist Goh Choon Kang offers the view that Germany — along with much of Europe — has been “weaponised” by the US for its own aims, whether in terms of China policy or the war in Ukraine. This is a clear lesson for other countries, those in Southeast Asia included.

Former journalist Goh Choon Kang observes that whether it is the discussions at the recently concluded Shangri-La Dialogue or the larger machinations of geopolitics, it cannot be denied that having China in the picture changes many things, and perhaps even provides countries with more strategic options.