Chan Chun Sing urges nations to continuously find ways to create value together

Amid a world faced with new uncertainties and changing perceptions of both hard and soft power, countries will need to build trust through strategic patience, while continuously finding concrete ways to create value together, said Singapore's Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing on Wednesday (Sept 16).

Chan's comment at the Bejing Xiangshan Forum on security come amid technology race heating up and a growing imbalance in consumption and production that has caused trade and investments to become securitised and weaponised.

Cautioning that these are serious trends to be concerned with, Chan, who is also Coordinating Minister for Public Services, called for countries to not look at security as a zero-sum issue.

"The true test of statecraft is this: how do we strengthen our own security without weakening the security of others, or without aggravating the insecurity of others?" he said.

The Singapore defence minister went on to suggest three principles, which he described as fundamental, and worth bearing in mind as countries navigate uncertainties.

Three fundamental principles

Reiterating a point he made at the Shangri-La Dialogue in May, Chan said that domestic security and external security are mutually reinforcing as confidence at home enables a country to cooperate with partners and act in its enlightened long-term interest internationally.

He cited the French Revolution, which was triggered by fiscal crisis and economic hardship, that led to Napoleonic Wars; and the global economic crisis of the 1930s that eventually led to the second world war, as examples of the importance of achieving political stability.

The second principle Chan suggested was interdependence.

He said that this can, in turn, expand the pool of common interests between disparate countries, creating the incentive to cooperate, or at least compete within an agreed set of rules — an international rules-based order, foundational to global trade and exchanges.

Turning to the importance of trust, but emphasising its fragility, Chan said that trust can help resolve difficult issues quietly behind the scenes.

But when trust is absent, even the smallest of misunderstandings can simmer and become major problems, the defence minister added.

"This matters in the physical domain. In a congested environment, be it in the air or the sea, mishaps can happen if we are not careful.

"But this matters even more in 'invisible' domains like cyberspace, where intentions are unclear and attribution is not simple."

Working together, creating value

Chan urged countries to consider a different concept of 'winning', where 'victory' is about winning over the world through the power of example, rather than the example of power.

He said that countries must be conscious of how shifts in relative power alter perceptions and actions in the eyes of other countries.

In addition, countries should build trust through strategic wisdom, where countries decide their next course of action that best services their respective long-term interest regardless of immediate pressures.

"It is not about letting our external circumstances dictate our actions, or baiting us into chasing short-term wins over enduring advantage," he said, adding that not every provocation demands an immediate response.

Chan cited Chinese philosopher Meng Zi who said: "Power may compel others to comply. But in the end, it is trust that truly wins others over."

He called on countries to continuously find concrete ways to create value together, clarifying that the object of diplomacy is not to deny any country's national interests, but to find out how they can overlap.

In so doing, Chan said, countries can then build real cooperation within that shared space.

China as a 'responsible major country'

Closing off his speech, Chan highlighted that all countries have responsibilities and agency.

He said that Singapore welcomes China's aspiration to be a "responsible major country", noting that its reform and opening up have transformed the lives of Chinese citizens and contributed to the prosperity of the region and the world.

Meanwhile, China has also made great strides in modernising its military, with much potential to make a positive contribution to global stability and security, Chan pointed out.

He ended off his speech with three poetic Chinese maxims: "With peace and prosperity, cooperation can do no harm. When interests are closely intertwined, cooperation is beyond doubt. Win others through virtue, and cooperation knows no bounds."

新加坡国防部长陈振声周三（9月16日）表示，在当今世界面临新的不确定性以及对硬实力和软实力认知不断变化的情况下，各国需要通过战略耐心来建立信任，同时不断寻找共同创造价值的具体方法。

陈先生在北京象山安全论坛上发表安全评论之际，正值科技竞赛日趋激烈，消费与生产失衡日益加剧，导致贸易和投资安全化和武器化。

陈先生同时也是公共服务统筹部长，他警告说这些都是值得关注的严重趋势，并呼吁各国不要将安全问题视为零和博弈。

他说：“真正的治国之道在于：如何在不削弱他国安全或不加剧他国不安全感的情况下加强自身安全？”

新加坡国防部长随后提出了三项原则，他称这些原则至关重要，值得各国在应对不确定性时牢记。

三个基本原则

陈重申了他在五月份香格里拉对话上提出的观点，他表示，国内安全和外部安全是相互促进的，因为国内的信心使一个国家能够与伙伴合作，并在国际上采取符合其长远利益的明智行动。

他以法国大革命（由财政危机和经济困难引发，最终导致拿破仑战争）和 20 世纪 30 年代的全球经济危机（最终导致第二次世界大战）为例，说明实现政治稳定的重要性。

陈提出的第二个原则是相互依存。

他表示，这反过来可以扩大不同国家之间的共同利益范围，从而激励它们合作，或者至少在一套商定的规则内展开竞争——这是以规则为基础的国际秩序，也是全球贸易和交流的基础。

陈先生谈到信任的重要性，但也强调了信任的脆弱性。他表示，信任可以帮助人们在幕后悄悄地解决棘手的问题。

国防部长补充说，但如果缺乏信任，即使是最小的误会也会不断发酵，最终演变成重大问题。

“这在物理领域很重要。在拥挤的环境中，无论是在空中还是在海上，如果我们不小心，就可能发生事故。”

“但在网络空间等‘隐形’领域，这一点就显得更加重要，因为在这些领域，意图不明，归因也不容易。”

携手合作，创造价值

陈冯富珍敦促各国考虑一种不同的“胜利”概念，即“胜利”是通过榜样的力量赢得世界，而不是通过武力。

他表示，各国必须意识到相对实力的变化会如何改变其他国家眼中的看法和行动。

此外，各国应通过战略智慧建立信任，即各国应不顾眼前的压力，决定下一步行动方案，以最大程度地维护各自的长期利益。

“这不是要让外部环境左右我们的行动，也不是要诱使我们去追求短期利益而放弃长远优势，”他说道，并补充说，并非每一次挑衅都需要立即回应。

陈引用中国哲学家孟子的话：“权力可以迫使他人服从，但最终赢得他人的，是信任。”

他呼吁各国不断寻找共同创造价值的具体途径，并明确指出外交的目的不是否定任何国家的国家利益，而是找出这些利益如何能够重叠。

陈先生表示，通过这种方式，各国可以在共享空间内建立真正的合作。

中国作为“负责任的大国”

陈在演讲结尾强调，所有国家都负有责任和自主权。

他表示，新加坡欢迎中国成为“负责任的大国”的愿望，并指出中国的改革开放改变了中国公民的生活，也为地区和世界的繁荣做出了贡献。

陈指出，与此同时，中国在军队现代化方面也取得了长足进步，有很大潜力为全球稳定与安全做出积极贡献。

他以三句富有诗意的中国格言结束了演讲：“和平繁荣时，合作无害；利益紧密交织时，合作毋庸置疑；以德取人，合作无界限。”