PM Lee Hsien Loong at the Joint Press Conference with US President Joe Biden (March 2022)

Q (CNA): Prime Minister, you advocated the benefits for the United States to develop a Bipartisan Consensus on Asia, that Asia depends on a predictable US policy towards the region. How assured are you though, that the momentum you have seen with ASEAN-US engagement has the ability to move the needle on shared objectives in the Asia Pacific towards the fundamentals that we all need to live by – peace, prosperity and economic development? And basically, how well is President Biden doing in this regard?

PM Lee: I think if you put it at a very broad level, there is consensus on the direction of the policy in Asia Pacific – that they want to engage China, that they are trying to develop a stable, predictable relationship with China, and at the same time, engaging other countries in the region, not just on strategic and security issues, but also on economic cooperation, trade and other investment and environmental sustainability links.

So at a very broad level, I think the consensus is there. At the level of specific policies, each administration launches new initiatives. I am quite convinced, having seen several administrations, that this one is completely focused on achieving something lasting in Asia, and we in Singapore do our best to help to make sure that their proposal work and will take root and will continue to grow for many years to come.

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