THE most important thing for Asia is that the region needs to preserve peace and stability, regardless of what outside countries might say.
Making this point was senior Chinese diplomat Liu Jianchao, who spoke on Wednesday (Mar 27) at a session during the FutureChina Dialogue.
Liu, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, is in charge of cultivating and fostering relations with foreign political parties. He is widely seen as a leading contender to be China’s next foreign minister.
“The world needs connectivity, not decoupling,” said Liu, who is in Singapore for a four-day official visit that ends on Thursday. “We need civilisations to engage, not to clash.”
He cautioned that “Asia must be vigilant to avoid becoming a testing ground for powerful systems”, where countries such as the US build high fences around core business activities and technological developments in the name of security.
“All companies, regardless of their country of origin, should be treated equally in the US,” said the minister, referring to the recent US crackdown on the Chinese-born social media platform TikTok. He urges the US to respect the rights and interests of Chinese companies.
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“The US has not abandoned its policy to oppress and contain China,” he observed.
Enhancing dialogue to help the US have a more holistic perception of China is hence vital for improving relations and maintaining peace.
He recognises that communication channels in different sectors, including military, diplomacy, economy and trade, between the two major powers have improved since the meeting between US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping in San Francisco in November 2023, despite there being varied progress on different fronts.
On the possible implications of this year’s US presidential elections on US-China relations, Liu stressed that the choice for the American president is up to the voters, and China will cooperate with whoever the next US leader may be.
The potential turbulence makes strengthening dialogue and properly managing relations between the world’s two largest economies all the more important, he added.
Looking ahead, he highlighted that China’s prosperity hinges on Asia’s development, and reiterated the country’s commitment to opening its doors wider.
Addressing the pessimistic view surrounding the slowdown of the Chinese economy, Liu noted that this perspective is primarily due to comparisons with the country’s double-digit growth achieved in the past decades.
China’s economy is now under a transition phase as the country strives to move up the value chain and elevate all of its 1.4 billion citizens to a modern lifestyle. It recorded a growth rate of 5.2 per cent in 2023, still “higher than the global average of 2.6 per cent”, he added.
“China’s economy has sound and solid fundamentals and can handle ups and downs,” he said.
The FutureChina Dialogue – organised by non-profit organisation Business China and SPH Media’s flagship Chinese newspaper Lianhe Zaobao – was held at the Shangri-La Singapore hotel and attended by 400 people, including government officials, academics and business leaders.
Liu is in Singapore at the invitation of Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong met Liu at the Istana.
A statement from Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that PM Lee and Liu “expressed satisfaction” that the relationship between their countries has continued to strengthen.
Both sides reiterated their shared commitment to continue expanding cooperation in traditional areas such as trade and investments, as well as in forward-looking sectors such as the digital and green economy, the statement said.
Separately, Liu also called on Deputy Prime Ministers Lawrence Wong and Heng Swee Keat at The Treasury on Tuesday. Liu was also hosted to dinner by Dr Balakrishnan that same day.
