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SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has identified food shortages and natural disasters as non-traditional security threats. In his speech, he said that these can be tackled only if the international community works together.
Mr Lee was speaking at the annual Asia Security Summit, which is also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, on Friday. The event was also attended by Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew.
The Shangri-La Dialogue brings together defence ministers, top military personnel and security analysts from around the globe.
Highlighting food security as an immediate concern, PM Lee said the recent sharp rise in food prices, particularly rice, has led to unrests in several developing countries.
And to avert a serious problem, PM Lee said that a multilateral co-operative effort is needed.
He said: "International agencies like the World Bank and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation need to promote R&D in agro-technologies, to develop higher-yielding and climate-resistant crop varieties, using the full power of modern bioscience, including genetic modification techniques."
Another area that needs international co-operation is providing humanitarian aid and disaster relief. This was a point brought out in relation to Myanmar’s Cyclone Nargis and China’s Sichuan earthquake.
PM Lee continued: "This is a China the world has never seen before - a sympathetic view of a country in transition, confronting enormous problems, but also mustering huge energies and unexpected capabilities, as well as displaying a shared humanity.
"The Sichuan earthquake showed how much China has changed and offered a glimpse of its future: a more open and self-confident nation. The political aftershocks from this defining moment in China's history will be felt long after the ground has ceased to tremble."
Over in Myanmar, PM Lee said that the government's response following Cyclone Nargis is regrettable. Till today, the government continues to decline offers by many countries to deploy military equipment and personnel for relief operations.
PM Lee said: "From the humanitarian standpoint, every day lost means more avoidable casualties, more unconscionable human suffering. The frustration of the international community at Myanmar's refusal to let them act faster and do more is completely understandable.
"But from the perspective of Myanmar's domestic politics, the actions of the government should come as no surprise. Myanmar's partners in ASEAN have all been deeply concerned by the massive suffering of the victims, which a more rapid international relief operation could have minimised."
Prime Minister Lee added that in addressing these global challenges, America's leadership continues to be indispensable. But a major question is who the next American president will be.
Mr Lee said Asia is following the campaign trail closely. He added that Singapore has no votes but has its wish list. And that includes, having the new US president actively cultivate America's interests in the Asia Pacific, especially in Southeast Asia. - CNA/vm
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