Singapore and China Establish Hotline to Strengthen Defence Communication
The commitment to strengthen defence cooperation was reaffirmed during the meeting between Ng and Li, in accordance with the enhanced Agreement on Defence Exchanges and Security Cooperation.
The defence establishments of Singapore and China have agreed to establish a hotline aimed at enhancing communication between their defence leaders. The agreement was signed following a meeting between Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen and his Chinese counterpart Li Shangfu.
This marks Li's first attendance at the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum since his appointment in March. The hotline, referred to as a "secure defence telephone link," was witnessed by the two leaders after co-chairing the 2nd Singapore-China Defence Ministers' Dialogue. It serves as an important channel for high-level communication.
During Li's visit, he inspected a guard of honour at the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) headquarters in Bukit Gombak and engaged in discussions with Ng. Li, an aerospace engineer by training, was appointed Defence Minister in March. The meeting builds upon the cooperation established during the first Singapore-China Defence Ministers' Dialogue held in June 2022, under the leadership of Li's predecessor, General Wei Fenghe.
Strengthen Defense Cooperation
The commitment to strengthen defence cooperation was reaffirmed during the meeting between Ng and Li, in accordance with the enhanced Agreement on Defence Exchanges and Security Cooperation.
Global and regional security issues were also discussed, along with practical measures to enhance Asean-China defence cooperation under the Asean Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus.
Attendees included Rear-Admiral Aaron Beng, Singapore's Chief of Defence Force, and Permanent Secretary for Defence Chan Heng Kee, as well as Chinese Ambassador to Singapore Sun Haiyan and Lieutenant-General Jing Jianfeng, Deputy Chief of the Joint Staff Department.
The establishment of the hotline is a significant step towards strengthening mutual understanding and trust between the two defence establishments, as outlined in the 2019 enhanced Agreement on Defence Exchanges and Security Cooperation.
Visit World Future for more foreign news and regional Asean stories
The Singapore-China Agreement
The agreement also emphasizes the importance of maintaining high-level communications, promoting regular academic exchanges, and expanding bilateral exercises.
China already has similar hotlines with countries such as the United States, Japan, and South Korea. Additionally, plans are underway to establish a trial security hotline between China and the 10 Asean countries in 2023 to manage disputes in the South China Sea, where regional tensions arise from overlapping maritime claims.
Mindef highlighted that Li's visit underscores the longstanding, warm, and friendly bilateral defence relations between Singapore and China. As part of his visit, Li is expected to meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and be hosted to dinner.