SINGAPORE: We are all worried about the growing tensions between the United States and China. Their disputes have placed other countries in a dilemma.
No country wants to take sides, and Singapore is no exception. This is why I want to discuss US-China tensions, and their impact on us.
Since its reform and opening up, China has developed rapidly to become the world’s second-largest economy. This has significantly benefited both China and the world, in many ways. It has also reshaped the world order.
As the world’s pre-eminent power today, the US has to accommodate an increasingly powerful and influential China. This is by no means an easy adjustment for the US. But the US needs to accept that China’s rise is inevitable, and that it is neither possible nor wise to prevent it.