Singapore and New Zealand have ‘vested interest’ in stable US-China ties, Lee says during Ardern’s Asia trip

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New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern inspects an honour guard with Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during a welcome ceremony at the Istana in Singapore April 19, 2022. Then Chih-Wey/Pool via REUTERS

Published: 5:30pm, 19 Apr 2022Updated: 11:32pm, 19 Apr 2022

New Zealand and Singapore have a “vested interest” in ensuring that US-China relations are stable and do not become more complicated, the city state’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Tuesday.

In a joint press conference with the visiting New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Lee said “developments in the Pacific region, and particularly, China’s growing interest in the region”, were among the topics discussed during their bilateral talks.

Ardern is on her first overseas trip since the Covid-19 pandemic began and will visit Japan after departing from Singapore on Wednesday.

“We both have a vested interest in China-US relations being stable and not being complicated or further sharpened, in terms of the hostility or lack of trust on both sides,” Lee said.

New Zealand’s PM Jacinda Ardern and Singapore’s PM Lee Hsien Loong at the Istana on April 19, 2022. Photo: Reuters

Amid the Ukraine-Russia war – seen by some observers as a factor that could further deteriorate US-China ties – Lee said both Singapore and New Zealand hoped “wisdom will prevail and Ukraine will not make things more complicated”.