Defense leaders discuss South China Sea and regional trust at Beijing forum

At the 13th Beijing Xiangshan Forum, defense leaders from Malaysia and Singapore addressed regional security and the importance of diplomatic trust.

Malaysian Rear Admiral Yusni bin Mohhtar, Director of the Institute for Defence and Security Research, expressed support for ASEAN and China to continue working toward an effective and substantive ‘Code of Conduct in the South China Sea’. He emphasized that while Malaysia seeks to protect its sovereignty, it supports managing maritime issues through peaceful and constructive means based on international law. Mohhtar also noted the strong economic ties between Malaysia and China, with bilateral trade exceeding $205 billion.

Singaporean Minister for Defence Ng Eng Hen highlighted the challenge of enhancing national security without increasing the insecurity of other nations. Invoking Mencius, he argued that true influence comes from virtue rather than force, stating that trust is essential for resolving disputes. He advocated for using diplomacy to find overlapping national interests and prevent small misunderstandings from escalating into major conflicts.