P M Lee visits U S
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AFP News – 15 hours ago
The United States said Monday that it anticipated further military cooperation with Singapore as Washington presses forward its strategy of putting a greater focus on dispute-ridden Asia.
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, kicking off a visit to Washington, spoke to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel about his views on resolving territorial issues in the South and East China Seas, the Pentagon said.
Hagel "made clear the United States and the Department of Defense remain committed to the rebalance towards the Asia-Pacific region," Pentagon spokesman George Little said after the meeting.
Hagel told Lee that "in the future there will be even more opportunities for closer collaboration between the United States and Singapore," Little said.
The United States is shifting more of its military toward Asia, part of President Barack Obama's stated "pivot" or "rebalance" to Asia at a time of high tensions between a rising China and several of its neighbors.
The USS Freedom, a littoral combat ship, is en route to Singapore for a temporary deployment. The city-state plans to host up to four of the US ships, which are designed to operate off coasts.
Hagel also said he would visit Singapore next month for the annual Shangri-La defense forum. Secretary of State John Kerry plans his own first trip to Asia since taking office later this month.
Lee will meet Tuesday with Obama at the White House for talks that are also expected to focus on trade. The United States and Singapore are both taking prominent roles in negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact.
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To US to meet President Obama
REmember before Obama became President the father and son were negative . Now a different .....
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Shangri-La defense forum
The best defense is such as above only - weaponless action and talks only. Wish that they realize and treasure every single human right of short lifespan, and avoid action resulted in enmasse destruction of human beings. The leaders having problem should settle their own score amongst themselves one-one in the boxing ring themselves.
territorial issues in the South and East China Seas
For goodness sake, they should resolve their respective mainland issues first before exploring the seas territorial. These highly educated and highly intellectuals leaders because of material thing sacrifice the harmony and life of their own fellow citizens. And those citizen also ignorantly getting themselves involved with the leaders' stupidity. This is sort of human living like animals kingdoms, causing disharmony and attempt killing one another without respite. Wishing all be peace and safe!
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US military will need to use Singapore for strategic deployment especially so when the two Koreas start their fight.
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his joke back fired badly in SIngapore
"Beijing gets free smoke, Shanghai gets free pork soup" as PM Lee jokes to the Americans
WASHINGTON - Singapore is well-known for its efficiency and order, but on a visit to Washington the city state's prime minister displayed a less advertised attribute — humour.
In an after-dinner speech to U.S. businessmen, Lee Hsien Loong made a couple of jokes that could pass for stand-up comedy.
He drew laughs — and some groans — with his quips, including several about China's environmental problems.
"Beijing residents joke that to get a free smoke all they have to do is open their windows!" Lee said.
He then alluded to thousands of pig carcasses recently fished from Chinese rivers.
"(In) Shanghai, if you want some pork soup, you just turn on the tap," he said.
His audience appeared doubtful if that was in good taste, until he added: "That's their joke, not mine!"
Lee, who met earlier in the day with President Barack Obama, had serious messages in his speech too.
He spoke about the challenges facing China as it emerges from its once-in-a-decade leadership transition, and on the need for the two global powers, the U.S. and China, to get along.
Singapore gets on well with both, and Lee said China, which remains cautious about political reform, looks at the prosperous city state to try to understand how to balance its economic and social goals as it develops.
With a little self-deprecation, Lee described Singapore as a "tiny Bonzai model" for China to learn from.
Lee is the son of Singapore's founding prime minister, Lee Kwan Yew, who steered the Southeast Asian nation's remarkable development for many years while keeping a firm grip on power.
The same party has ruled for the past 50 years, although the political opposition gained ground in national elections in 2011. -
Originally posted by oldlee:
With a little self-deprecation, Lee described Singapore as a "tiny Bonzai model" for China to learn from.
Learn how to anglicise chinese and kill off chinese schools and culture? What does he mean?
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It seems LHL is trying to represent China and telling the U.S. President that Singapore is just a tiny man without any backbone...like 'lalang' or long grasses..follow where the wind blows...that is like controlling a puppet in a puppet show. Hope PRC is not using Singapore as a tool....Singapore will be call and seen again the Second China like in the past.
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chinaindibanglapore :lol:
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I doubt LHL can state clearly and directly to the U.S. that PRC is Singapore trade partner and the most important trading partner now than the U.S. and PRC should be the ASEAN champion and not the U.S.A. Singapore has more investments in PRC than any other part of the world. Singapore is also the "Clearing House" for Chinese yuan currency...whats that...meaning Singapore get commission from that transaction.
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Singapore's prime minister warned that miscalculations in Asia could set back the fast-growing region for years as President Barack Obama hailed the city-state for military cooperation.
On a visit to Washington, Lee Hsien Loong said that the United States had "fundamental interests" in freedom of navigation and stability in a region where China's disputes with neighbors have intensified.
"We should seek to prevent any miscalculation or mishap which will set the region back for many years," Lee told a dinner of business leaders after talks at the White House with Obama.
Singapore, while a longstanding US partner, has pursued friendly relations with China. Lee said he believed there was "enough common ground" for the two Pacific powers to accommodate each other's interests.
"The US, as the incumbent superpower who will remain dominant for decades to come, naturally has interests to protect," he said.
China nonetheless "wants its rightful place in the sun" and will be "wary of any perceived attempt to conscribe its freedom of action," Lee said.
Relations have worsened between China and Japan over islands in the East China Sea, while Vietnam and the Philippines have led Southeast Asian criticism over Beijing's alleged heavy-handedness in South China Sea disputes.
Tensions in Asia have soared in recent weeks due to a crisis with North Korea, which tested a nuclear bomb in February and has threatened to attack the United States over what it calls hostility.
Singapore has given the green light for the temporary deployment of four littoral combat ships, which are meant to project US power in shallow coastal waters. The first, the USS Freedom, is on its way across the Pacific.
"We have extremely close military cooperation," Obama said as he met with Lee at the Oval Office, praising the capitalist Southeast Asian state as "one of the most successful countries in the world."
"I want to thank Singapore for all the facilities that they provide that allow us to maintain our effective Pacific presence," Obama said.
Singapore has traditionally been a key source of advice and interpretation of events in Asia, particularly in China, for US administrations, and Obama said that Lee had been especially helpful to him.
"Personally, there are very few world leaders who I am more appreciative of in terms of their advice, counsel and thoughtful analysis than Prime Minister Lee," Obama said.
The meeting focused on regional security challenges as well as trade, with Singapore and the United States key players in the evolving Trans-Pacific Partnership pact.
Lee, in an address to the US Chamber of Commerce and US-ASEAN Business Council, called on the United States to pursue a "more active trade agenda" despite the political pitfalls for Obama at home.
"In Asia, trade is strategy. A more active trade agenda will benefit the US economically and strategically," Lee said.
The Singaporean prime minister called Southeast Asia "a huge market" for the United States, saying that the world's largest economy enjoyed advantages thanks to its creative innovation.
Lee welcomed Japan's decision to enter the Trans-Pacific Partnership talks, which will offer a major boost in the size of the potential pact even if its presence may complicate negotiations.
Source:
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/obama-heaps-praise-singapore-190159329.html
In this photo President Obama look at PM Lee like " you better say 'yes' if not..."
Then PM Lee ..."yeh yeh yeh ...hehehehe"
In this one . Obama: "When is he gonna finish tokin...so sleepy, later still have to attend another press conference" zzzzzz
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Originally posted by zulkifli mahmood:
It seems LHL is trying to represent China and telling the U.S. President that Singapore is just a tiny man without any backbone…like ‘lalang’ or long grasses..follow where the wind blows…that is like controlling a puppet in a puppet show. Hope PRC is not using Singapore as a tool….Singapore will be call and seen again the Second China like in the past.
whatever this pm is a disgrace locally and internationally. no depth, no passion to serve citizens, only interested and love money making.
His presence in US is a disgrace to us. Singaproe damn suay to have it as PM. PM = problems maker