Keynote Speech by Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen at the Joint Opening Ceremony of the 7th Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference and 35th Pacific Armies Management Seminar (PACC VII/PAMS XXXV)

Good morning Army Chiefs,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let me bid you all a warm welcome to Singapore today. It is indeed a pleasure for me to join you this morning at the joint opening of the seventh Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference (PACC) and the 35^th Pacific Armies Management Seminar. Singapore is delighted once again to play host to a distinguished group of Army Chiefs and senior commanders from 27 countries across the Asia-Pacific.

For the two countries, China and Laos, who have joined the PACC for the first time, I bid a special welcome. I am sure that we are all delighted that Deputy Chief of General Staff GEN Zhang Qinsheng of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and Deputy Chief of the General Staff Department BG Souvone Leuangbounmy from the Lao People's Army (LPA) are here. I hope that all participants will use the unique opportunity that PACC offers to build relationships and forge stronger bonds of cooperation with their counterparts in the Asia-Pacific.

The Security Landscape of an Interconnected World

In 1999, PACC was inaugurated. If you cast your mind back, and from time to time I look up the headlines of the dailies and the major magazines, whether it is in the defence, economic or global arenas; and if you like to have a slice of what the thinking was at the end of the last millennia, few could have envisaged in 1999, the security environment and challenges we face today, as eloquently articulated by Generals Ravinder and Wiercinski. We were basking in the after-glow of the end of the Cold War then, many were optimistic for a golden age of peace and tranquillity, or at least wars limited to a few regional hot spots and occasional outbreaks due to sectarian and ethnic violence. Instead, post 9/11, Iraq, Afghanistan, the Arab Spring, Libya, piracy in the GOA and the continuing export of WMD, the hard reality is that the security landscape today is marked by threats which are increasingly transnational and complex, too large for any single country, no matter how large and equipped, to shoulder the burden.

Navigating this change peacefully requires concerted effort and commitment, especially in sharing information and new ideas for solutions, as well as exchanging best practices. By their very nature, transnational security challenges - spanning from terror networks to pandemics, natural disasters and cybersecurity - thwart attempts by individual states to contain or manage them. The impact of incidents set off even by small groups or individuals can cause ripple effects in our increasingly connected world. Even in Singapore, we have arrested a few who were self-radicalised, in other words, no one contacted them; they just sat in front of the computer screens, and were radicalised and made plans to act out their radical ideas to perpetuate acts of violence. The tragic attacks in Norway by a supposed single gun-man was shocking. We do not know, as yet, how many more in other countries will be emboldened to take similar action.

On a larger scale, the centre of gravity for both economic and strategic weight is shifting towards this part of the world, the Asia-Pacific. China and India are the world’s fastest growing economies and our region also houses four of the largest economies in the world. In this evolving landscape, Singapore has often emphasised that our regional architecture must pari passu respond to these changes to maintain the stability that has allowed this region to progress economically.  

Regional Security Architecture

ASEAN member states have sketched for the Asia-Pacific region a regional security architecture that is anchored on a few fundamental principles. First, a commitment to open and inclusive dialogue; second, cooperation based on mutual respect and confidence-building measures; and third, a mutual understanding that differences ought to be resolved peacefully and in accordance with international law. These three principles provide a sustainable basis for regional trust and cooperation by promoting transparency consistent with established norms, and by allowing countries to move ahead with dialogue and concrete initiatives at a pace they are comfortable with. And this must be the very reason why we have so many army chiefs gathered here in order for us to build trust, capacity and confidence.

Today, the security architecture comprises a web of bilateral and multilateral relationships which fulfil various roles. We have large multilateral security fora such as the East Asian Summit, or EAS, and the ASEAN Regional Forum, or ARF. We also have informal, Track 1.5 meetings such as the Shangri-La Dialogue, as well as functional groupings such as the Malacca Strait Patrols, which are formed to address specific challenges. Woven together, these layers strengthen the overall architecture and help to move it forward. They also provide multiple opportunities for regional stakeholders to converse and cooperate in substantive ways.

It is also heartening to note that the scope of participants in such fora has broadened over the years, as more countries recognise the value of international engagement. This is a positive development that can build confidence and capacity to respond to emerging security challenges wherever required.

The Military and Non-Traditional Security Threats

More significantly, our security architecture has also spurred practical outcomes. In April this year, for example, the ADMM-Plus established Experts' Working Groups to enhance practical cooperation in five key security areas: disaster relief, peacekeeping, counter-terrorism, maritime security, and military medicine. Just two weeks ago, Indonesia and Singapore co-hosted the first ASEAN table-top exercise on Humanitarian and Disaster Relief operations. It went very well and it was a practical step forward for many countries to move the HADR responses to a more cooperative, established and effective way.

Our collaborations in these non-traditional areas mirror how the military profession itself has evolved to meet the non-conventional threats of today. Our armies were not originally conceived for partnership in HADR, vector control, or peacekeeping; and yet, traditional army competencies have been adapted successfully for these important non-traditional challenges.

The Role of PACC in Building Cooperation

Against this backdrop, PACC is an important platform for encouraging such discourse and strengthening cooperation between armed forces. It is my hope that over the next three days, the Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference and Management Seminar will offer you the space to consider and discuss the important issues of 21^st century challenges, which our American co-host has articulated very well, as well as the capabilities we would require in order to address these challenges through multilateral security cooperation.

These two events represent much more than merely a meeting of minds - they are an important facet of our regional security architecture in driving greater cooperation amongst Asia-Pacific armies. They are also an opportunity for each of you to build a network of personal relationships that exists at the highest levels of the military and government. I am sure that everyone here recognises the value of these relationships in building confidence, disentangling potential misunderstandings and pursuing areas of common interest between armed forces.

Conclusion

The conference theme "Building Land Forces' Capacity Through Multilateral Security Cooperation" is thus aptly chosen as you continue to develop your mastery over both the traditional and non-traditional domains of your profession. I trust that the perspectives shared and the personal bonds built here will stand the region in good stead to meet the challenges of our time.

Finally, let me take this opportunity to express my appreciation for your continued support, which firmly attests to our shared commitment to strengthening regional stability and cooperation. I wish all of you a fruitful conference ahead. 

More Resources

Asia-Pacific Armies Meet to Discuss Security Cooperation