Five-nation defence grouping agrees to share intelligence to fight terror
TODAY file photo
SINGAPORE — With terrorism posing a “clear and present” threat to the region and beyond, the nations under the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) have agreed to share intelligence to fend off terror threats against Singapore and Malaysia. They will also take greater steps to strengthen counter-terrorism activities.
Meeting on the sidelines of the yearly, high-powered Shangri-La Dialogue, leaders from the five countries — Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand and the United Kingdom — on Friday (June 2) also reaffirmed their commitment to the multilateral agreement, describing the FPDA as an “integral part” of the regional security architecture.
Hosted by Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, the meeting held at the Four Seasons Hotel Singapore was attended by Australian Defence Minister Marise Payne; Malaysian Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein; New Zealand Defence Minister Mark Mitchell; and the UK’s High Commissioner to Singapore Scott Wightman, representing UK Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, who could not take part because of Britain’s forthcoming general election.
In a joint ministerial statement issued after the meeting, the ministers noted that the scope and complexity of the FPDA’s exercises have expanded over the decades. They pledged to continually raise their “operational value”, including by adding newer capabilities for the benefit of all member-states.
Dr Ng told a joint press conference after the meeting that the ministers have directed their staff members and militaries to update the FPDA’s relevance, in terms of exercises and integrating new capabilities, to deal with threats in an evolving security environment.
“(This) includes counter-terrorism and maritime security,” he added.
Mr Hishammuddin said the FPDA — formed in 1971 to boost Singapore and Malaysia’s defence capabilities — is more important now than ever amid the rise of extremism.
Stressing that the arrangements were not merely a military initiative or legal approach, he said it was about “the winning of hearts and minds” to counter the narrative propagated by terrorists, “this very evil group” determined to establish a foothold in the region.
He also pointed to how Association of South-east Asian Nations member-states had decided two years ago to face the Islamic State head-on.
“Now we’re discussing (via) this FPDA platform, because if we do nothing and they do get a foothold ... it’ll affect all the nations in this grouping,” said Mr Hishammuddin.
Extremism, he added, was an issue for “those with like minds and the determination to stand up to”.
Ms Payne said the FPDA member-states discussed where “new capability that each of our nations are bringing online in the coming years” may be used, underscoring the “responsiveness” of the group and its ability to move with the times.
Asked if the FPDA’s strengthening was a signal to the United States that the region was finding alternative means to ensure its own interests, Ms Payne said this was “not in response” to that. It was an opportunity for the ministers, as well as defence personnel, to stay responsive to current events and a “very dynamic and quite challenging” regional strategic environment, she said.
When asked, Dr Ng said the enhancements to the FPDA were also not in direct response to tensions in the South China Sea. “It was a more general aspect to update the current regional security environment,” he said.
‘OBSERVERS’ PROGRAMME TO BE ENHANCED
To raise transparency, FPDA members also agreed to enhance its “observers” programme for regional countries outside the group to observe FPDA exercises.
Ms Payne said the group previously invited observers to various exercises and activities, and saw the opportunity to develop this further. “In all of our dealings with our neighbours in the region, I think every one of us has been very warm about the opportunity to participate in that observer space,” she added.
Mr Hishammuddin added that the threats nations face cannot be resolved “by any one individual country”, and even in the FPDA, member-states would be hard-pushed to deal with the issues confronting them.
Hence, the way forward “must be more inclusive”. “Having bridges — whether as observers, or maybe in future, more permanent representation — to deal with certain issues is an imperative,” he said.
In its 16th edition, the Shangri-La Dialogue will see 22 ministerial-level delegates, 12 chiefs of defence forces as well as senior defence officials and academics from nearly 40 countries in attendance. The three-day dialogue ends on Sunday.
At a press briefing in Beijing on Thursday, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said its decision to appoint an official from the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) Academy on Military Science to lead its delegation was “made … in accordance with work requirements” and had “nothing to do with China-Singapore relations”.
She was responding to a question on whether there was a chill in China-Singapore relations, since in previous years the deputy chief of general staff had led the Chinese delegation.
“It is far-fetched and pointless to link that with the bilateral relationship,” Ms Hua said.
She added that Singapore is an “important member-state of Asean”, and the two countries have forged an “all-round cooperative partnership progressing with the times”.
“(China) values its relations with Singapore and would like to enhance bilateral cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road (initiative), increase political mutual trust, strengthen exchanges and cooperation across the board, and maintain the sound and steady growth of the bilateral relations,” Ms Hua said.
DR NG HOLDS TALKS WITH CHINESE OFFICIAL
On Friday, Dr Ng held a bilateral meeting with the Vice-President of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Academy of Military Sciences, Lieutenant-General (LG) He Lei, on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue, said Singapore’s Ministry of Defence (Mindef).
LG He is leading the Chinese delegation, comprising several senior PLA officials, for the dialogue.
“During the meeting, Dr Ng and LG He reaffirmed the warm and friendly bilateral defence relationship between Singapore and China, which has steadily progressed over the years. They re-emphasised the value of the Four-Point Consensus agreed in 2014 between Dr Ng and Chinese Minister of National Defense General Chang Wanquan, and agreed to further strengthen bilateral defence cooperation,” Mindef added.
Dr Ng and LG He also acknowledged the importance of China’s role in the Asia-Pacific region, and China’s involvement in the regional security architecture through platforms such as the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus and the Xiangshan Forum.
LG He, who is also the Secretary-General of the Secretariat of the Xiangshan Forum, invited Dr Ng to participate in the 2018 edition of the forum, Mindef said.
During the dialogue, LG He will also be meeting Permanent Secretary for Defence, Mr Chan Yeng Kit, and other senior officials from Mindef and the Singapore Armed Forces.
