BOTH SIDES UNDERSTAND WHAT’S AT STAKE
The last time the Chinese and American presidents met in person was on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Bali last year.
“Follow up and continuity is key. You can have meetings, but if there are no effective outcomes, then it actually discourages you,” said Dr Ng.
“So, I’m optimistic this time there will be such an outcome because coming out of (the meeting in Bali), I think both sides have an understanding of what’s more at stake.”
During his trip, Dr Ng spoke at and attended the Xiangshan Forum, branded as Beijing’s answer to the Shangri-La Dialogue held in Singapore.
However, the annual defence gathering’s lack of high-level representation from the West has drawn attention.
Over 90 nations and international organisations attended this year’s event, many from developing countries and the global south, seen as friends and partners of China.
The US also sent a delegation to the event, but not at the defence minister level.
Dr Ng said this can change if the US or western Europe were to recognise the importance of the platform.
But on a larger scale, he pointed out that it reflected challenges the world faces, with a line being drawn between the developed world and the global south.
“That itself is a friction point, a tectonic plate. If you don’t pay attention to it, you will lose the global south, if you’ve not already lost it,” said Dr Ng.
“The developed countries, you will lose the emerging economies, and without their buy-in, without their cooperation, you won’t be able to address global challenges, not least like climate change.”
Source: CNA
