China-US relations

In an interview on CCTV-13’s “Leaders Talk”《高端访谈》programme first broadcast on 24 March, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong spoke about trust and mutual understanding in longstanding Singapore-China bilateral relations, and expressed the hope that both countries would take this forward in areas such as the Belt and Road Initiative, China-ASEAN relations, China's rise and US-China relations. The following are edited excerpts of the full transcript of the interview issued by Singapore's Prime Minister’s Office.

The US’s propensity for spending more than it has has landed it in a US$31 trillion debt. Furthermore, the US’s actions against Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and China have weakened US dollar hegemony. US academic Han Dongping remarks that perhaps the US needs to focus on itself before it begins its sabre-rattling over issues such as the Taiwan Strait crisis.

East Asian Institute senior research fellow Qi Dongtao analyses the significance of former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou’s upcoming visit to mainland China. Could history repeat itself and the visit be a harbinger of a marked strengthening of ties between the mainland and the KMT, leading to a victory over the DPP in the 2024 elections?

Heritage Foundation researcher Min-Hua Chiang observes that China is fast losing its grip on its economic coercion strategy vis-à-vis Taiwan. With supply chains regrouping after a period of US-China trade war and geopolitical tensions, Taiwan has found greater support in its efforts to delink cross-strait issues with its economic survival.

Learning of a recent performance in the US by Suzhou musicians, SPH Chinese Media Group editor-in-chief Lee Huay Leng muses on the role that the Philadelphia Orchestra’s visit to Beijing had played in US-China relations in the 1970s. While no substitute for hard diplomacy, cultural exchanges can sow seeds of friendship among different peoples, and help the world reap something beautiful in the future.

Former Zaobao editor Lim Jim Koon believes that the balloon saga between China and the US in February gives much food for thought around the role of political leaders and mass media in sensationalising the trivial incidents.

A clear theme throughout China’s Two Sessions this year has been its resistance to the US’s attempts at suppression and containment. Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong notes that while China’s rhetoric against the US has gotten stronger, it has actively shown itself to be a major global player, even in the Middle East.

No longer are Chinese officials mincing their words when it comes to the rivalry between the two countries. The recent press conference with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang showed as much, as he directly criticised US actions to contain and suppress China. Zaobao correspondent Yang Danxu takes us through the current state of China-US relations.

Researcher Wei Da observes that amid increasing US-China tensions and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, US strategists are rethinking the way they see China and Russia. This revised worldview keenly shapes their calculations of various flashpoints, not least the Ukraine war and the Taiwan issue.