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SINGAPORE: The often-debated subject of maritime security took centrestage on the final day of the Shangri-La Dialogue, with the focus, once again, placed on the Straits of Malacca.
While defence ministers and naval commanders agree there has been progress, they said more effort is needed to defend the sea-lanes of communications.
Ministers also welcomed the high-level participation of China and Singapore's Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean said it shows a new readiness on China's part to engage countries in the region on security and defence matters.
The Shangri-La Dialogue achieved several important objectives, said organisers, including enhancing confidence in military development and gaining a better understanding of US-China ties and the modernisation programmes of some countries.
US Defence Secretary Dr Robert Gates said: "In terms of our bilateral relationship, I wouldn't describe it as a breakthrough but as a next step in a process of military-to-military conversations which we will continue in the future."
Enhancing the effectiveness of the various security architecture forums was very much on the minds of the participants on the final day of the Shangri-La Dialogue.
In particular, they were concerned that more needs to be done to further strengthen maritime security, especially in the Straits of Malacca as 40 percent of the world's trade passes through the waterways.
For Indonesia, the safe passage of maritime traffic in the straits is critical for its economy.
Indonesia Defence Minister Professor Juwono Sudarsono said: "We have no aims to develop strike force capabilities beyond our borders because we have enough domestic problems to face – principally poverty, unemployment and inequities in development.
"Our defence budget is less than one percent of GDP, less than the defence budget of Singapore, so the contrast is very stark. That is why we have to work with our neighbours to develop a capacity. We wish to assure our neighbours in the region that the real need for capacity building in our defence forces is to provide that semblance of governance that is necessary for economic development and economic recovery."
And Singapore is more than ready to aid in the process.
Mr Teo said: "We have a radar surveillance chain in the Singapore Straits and we have actually extended the picture to Indonesia's command centre so that they can see the same picture. I think that indicates the level of transparency and information sharing and it also enables quicker response when we want coordinate our activities in the Singapore Straits.
"The 'Eyes In The Sky' is a very good example. We may not always have the resources that we need and we may have to move resources from one place to another so the suggestion that came from Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak was actually quite a novel one. His suggestion was that we take aeroplanes which have surveillance capability, put the observers from the three littoral states in the back and they can pass information to the command centres from each of the countries.
"With such an arrangement, we could really bring on board resources from many countries and carry out surveillance in specific areas without having to infringe upon the sensitivities and sovereignty of individual countries."
The US Pacific Command believes there has been much improvement in the Pacific and Indian Oceans on maritime security cooperation and no significant incidents.
Admiral Timothy Keating, Commander, US Pacific Command, said: "We have discussed enhancing maritime security throughout the region. It is a matter of significance and importance to us in the Pacific Command. We are not satisfied with the current state but we are pleased with the progress we've made."
Organisers of the Shangri-La Dialogue – the International Institute of Strategic Studies – are planning a bigger conference next year to commemorate the Institute's 50th anniversary.
- CNA/so
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