Eye on China, India & Singapore talk SCS, Quad; chip deal to boost ties | India News
India and Singapore upgraded bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership as PM Narendra Modi held talks with his counterpart Lawrence Wong to boost cooperation in a range of areas from advanced manufacturing and digitalisation to skills and healthcare. Four MoUs were signed, including one for establishing a semiconductor ecosystem partnership that was hailed as a major takeaway from Modi’s first visit to the country in 6 years.
Amid growing concerns over Chinese assertiveness, the leaders also reaffirmed in a joint statement the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, security, stability, safety and freedom of navigation in and overflight above the South China Sea (SCS). Agreeing that regional security and stability is essential for the growth of both nations, they called for pursuing peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 UNCLOS, without resorting to the threat or use of force.
Interestingly, and probably for the first time, an India-Singapore joint statement specifically mentioned not just SCS but also Quad as both nations welcomed Quad’s support for ASEAN centrality, including its agenda to support priorities and needs of countries in the Indo-Pacific region, and explored synergies for mutually beneficial cooperation. This follows the recent threat of a military conflict between China and the Philippines in SCS. A non-claimant country in SCS disputes, Singapore has traditionally avoided taking sides in the US-China rivalry in Southeast Asia, balancing its ties with Beijing with robust military and security cooperation with the US. Singapore’s remarks with India on SCS and Quad also followed a joint naval exercise with China this week that underscored its “longstanding and friendly” defence ties with Beijing.
India and Singapore are looking to enhance bilateral cooperation through advanced manufacturing, with focus on semiconductors. Modi and Wong also visited AEM, a leading Singapore company in semiconductor and electronics sector. Singapore is a global leader in semiconductor manufacturing, accounting for over 10 percent of international semiconductor market.
“Both Prime Ministers agreed that advanced manufacturing, particularly in developing resilient semiconductor supply chains, can be a new pillar of bilateral cooperation,” said a joint statement. MoUs were signed for cooperation also in healthcare, skill development and digitisation, affirming common interests in AI and cyber security.
“Singapore is an important pillar of our Acr East Policy. Our common trust in democratic values links us. We will continue to work with Singapore for regional peace, stability and prosperity,” said Modi in his remarks after the meeting with Wong.
Both PMs, according to the joint statement, reaffirmed their commitment to work together to promote peace and stability across the Indo-Pacific region. “They underlined the importance of an open, inclusive, rules-based and resilient Indo-Pacific region, which promotes free trade and open markets and where differences are resolved peacefully in accordance with international law,” said the statement.
Modi called for enhanced defence cooperation to address common maritime challenges and Wong thanked him for India’s “consistent” support for the Singapore Armed Forces’ training in India which has elevated, he said, in both scope and scale in all domains, and welcomed India’s active participation in the regional security architecture.
The leaders also condemned terrorism, underlining their resolve to fight terrorist organisations. “Both Prime Ministers recognized that terrorism continues to remain the single most significant threat to peace and stability and reiterated their strong commitment to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and stressed that there can be no justification for acts of terror on any grounds whatsoever,” said the joint statement.
Amid growing concerns over Chinese assertiveness, the leaders also reaffirmed in a joint statement the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, security, stability, safety and freedom of navigation in and overflight above the South China Sea (SCS). Agreeing that regional security and stability is essential for the growth of both nations, they called for pursuing peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 UNCLOS, without resorting to the threat or use of force.
Interestingly, and probably for the first time, an India-Singapore joint statement specifically mentioned not just SCS but also Quad as both nations welcomed Quad’s support for ASEAN centrality, including its agenda to support priorities and needs of countries in the Indo-Pacific region, and explored synergies for mutually beneficial cooperation. This follows the recent threat of a military conflict between China and the Philippines in SCS. A non-claimant country in SCS disputes, Singapore has traditionally avoided taking sides in the US-China rivalry in Southeast Asia, balancing its ties with Beijing with robust military and security cooperation with the US. Singapore’s remarks with India on SCS and Quad also followed a joint naval exercise with China this week that underscored its “longstanding and friendly” defence ties with Beijing.
India and Singapore are looking to enhance bilateral cooperation through advanced manufacturing, with focus on semiconductors. Modi and Wong also visited AEM, a leading Singapore company in semiconductor and electronics sector. Singapore is a global leader in semiconductor manufacturing, accounting for over 10 percent of international semiconductor market.
“Both Prime Ministers agreed that advanced manufacturing, particularly in developing resilient semiconductor supply chains, can be a new pillar of bilateral cooperation,” said a joint statement. MoUs were signed for cooperation also in healthcare, skill development and digitisation, affirming common interests in AI and cyber security.
“Singapore is an important pillar of our Acr East Policy. Our common trust in democratic values links us. We will continue to work with Singapore for regional peace, stability and prosperity,” said Modi in his remarks after the meeting with Wong.
Both PMs, according to the joint statement, reaffirmed their commitment to work together to promote peace and stability across the Indo-Pacific region. “They underlined the importance of an open, inclusive, rules-based and resilient Indo-Pacific region, which promotes free trade and open markets and where differences are resolved peacefully in accordance with international law,” said the statement.
Modi called for enhanced defence cooperation to address common maritime challenges and Wong thanked him for India’s “consistent” support for the Singapore Armed Forces’ training in India which has elevated, he said, in both scope and scale in all domains, and welcomed India’s active participation in the regional security architecture.
The leaders also condemned terrorism, underlining their resolve to fight terrorist organisations. “Both Prime Ministers recognized that terrorism continues to remain the single most significant threat to peace and stability and reiterated their strong commitment to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and stressed that there can be no justification for acts of terror on any grounds whatsoever,” said the joint statement.
