Speech by Senior Minister of State for Defence Mr Chan Chun Sing, at the 3rd International Maritime Security Conference (IMSC)

Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good morning.

It is a great pleasure for me to be here at the opening of the 3rd International Maritime Security Conference or IMSC in short. To all our international delegations and friends, a very warm welcome to you, and I hope that you will continue to come and join us for future conferences in Singapore. Held in conjunction with IMDEX Asia 2013, the IMSC is a valuable gathering of minds that allows us to tap into the expertise of stakeholders and prominent members of the international maritime community. I am heartened to note that we have with us today some 350 maritime experts from navies and coast guards, industry, shipping companies, academia, and think tanks. Your presence highlights our collective commitment to working together to ensure the freedom and safety of the seas.

Over the last three decades, globalisation and the rapid growth of international trade have shifted the economic centre of gravity of the world. Asia is now one of the primary engines of global economic growth. However, Asia's continued economic success is only possible if the region remains peaceful, stable and conducive for trade and investment.

The security of the maritime realm is critical to this economic dynamism. The world economy continues to rely on seaborne trade, which accounts for more than 90% of all trade. In terms of trading volume, Asia alone makes up about 50% of all seaborne trade, and many of the world's strategic shipping lanes traverse our region. With more than half of the world's oil supply passing through the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, any disruption to the straits will affect the global economy, with direct implications on our region's security and economic well-being, and I am sure it will also impact the rest of the world. It is therefore in our collective interest to ensure that key sea lines of communication remain open and secure.

However, threats to maritime security are becoming increasingly complex. We face transnational challenges such as maritime terrorism, piracy and territorial disputes, as well as non-traditional threats such as climate change, pandemics and natural disasters. We have witnessed the devastating damage and disruption caused by the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami in the Indian Ocean and the March 2011 earthquake in Japan. Such transnational security challenges are too big for individual countries to tackle on their own.

We are also seeing rising defence expenditures across Asia, which have grown in tandem with the region's strong economic performance. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), defence spending in Asia has increased by about 65% in the past ten years, allowing navies and coast guards to upgrade and modernise their fleets. Coupled with the maritime disputes in the South and East China Seas, there is now a greater danger of escalation and miscalculation. These potential flashpoints - if not well-managed - could destabilise the regional maritime environment and have grave consequences on the entire world.

To respond to these challenges effectively, regional and extra-regional countries must proactively look for ways to strengthen mutual collaboration. I will just touch on two aspects that could help our efforts. First, we need to strengthen platforms for open and inclusive dialogue, as well as maintain open channels of communication. By increasing communication and engaging in active discourse, countries can share their views with one another, build trust, and explore new avenues for collaboration. The Shangri-La Dialogue, the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the East Asia Summit, the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) and ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus, or ADMM-Plus, are good examples of existing regional frameworks that promote strategic dialogue and the sharing of security perspectives.

In the realm of maritime defence and security, defence exhibitions such as IMDEX Asia, as well as conferences such as today's IMSC, the International Naval Engineering Conference (INEC) tomorrow, the Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS) and others, help to deepen dialogue amongst regional military leaders and key stakeholders in the maritime community. Such platforms enable countries to deepen existing friendships, establish new ones and expand the network of cooperation.  All in all, these platforms will help to strengthen trust among countries and the maritime community as well as create new opportunities for collaboration.

I am heartened to note that many of these regional security frameworks have already yielded positive outcomes in encouraging a convergence of views on maritime security matters. For instance, at the 7th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting in Brunei last week, the ASEAN Defence Ministers re-affirmed the Leaders' commitment at the 22nd ASEAN Summit for ASEAN to work actively with China towards the early conclusion of a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.

The second aspect I wish to highlight is the need to move beyond discourse at the strategic level and strengthen practical cooperation in the areas of shared security interest. This is important in promoting trust and confidence at the level of the armed forces, which in turn encourages stable military-to-military relations. Such cooperation also enhances interoperability among regional and extra-regional armed forces, and contributes to building capacity to respond more effectively to the wide spectrum of challenges to maritime security.

One good example of practical cooperation that was borne out of dialogue is the "Eyes-in-the-Sky" initiative - a proposal raised by Malaysian Prime Minister, then Defence Minister, Najib Razak during the 2005 Shangri-La Dialogue. This has since been implemented as part of the Malacca Strait Patrols (MSP) framework. Formed by Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and subsequently Thailand, the MSP tackles pirate attacks and sea robberies in the Malacca Strait with combined maritime air patrols, co-ordinated aerial patrols and an Intelligence Exchange Group. Since its inception in 2005, the MSP has successfully reduced the number of piracy attacks in the Malacca Strait from a high of 38 incidents in 2004 to close to zero in 2011. The incidences of sea robbery and piracy have remained low since. However, we should not be complacent because this is an evergreen challenge and once we let our guard down, we may see a rise in such incidents again.

Another example of practical cooperation that contributes to enhancing maritime security is the real-time information sharing that takes place at the Information Fusion Centre (IFC) at the Changi Command and Control (C2) Centre. The IFC has operational linkages to 62 maritime security agencies in 32 countries, as well as 15 International Liaison Officers (ILO) who are embedded at the IFC. The IFC's extensive linkages with ASEAN and international information-sharing centres allow it to provide credible, real-time information to participating maritime agencies, thereby enhancing countries' maritime situational awareness. This rapid sharing of information helps countries to respond to maritime security threats in a more timely and effective manner.

Here at IMDEX Asia 2013, we also seek to deepen practical cooperation through a series of maritime security activities. Yesterday, we opened the Maritime Information Sharing Exercise (MARISX), which helps to strengthen and "keep warm" the information-sharing linkages between regional and global navies. Held in tandem with the MARISX, the Western Pacific Multilateral Sea Exercise (WMSX), which also opened yesterday, involves a sea exercise component, to strengthen interoperability among regional navies and maritime enforcement agencies. Professional exchanges like the MARISX/WMSX are crucial in enhancing the mutual understanding, coordination and integration of operating procedures amongst countries.

I also wish to highlight the initiatives that are developing under the ambit of the ADMM-Plus, which has emerged in recent years as a valuable platform for fostering both dialogue and practical cooperation. Regional and extra-regional players have come together under the ADMM-Plus to form six Experts’ Working Groups (EWGs) to cover various areas of common security interest. On this note, I am happy to know that the EWG on maritime security will be conducting their field training exercise in Sydney this September. Another important milestone is the gathering of all 18 ADMM-Plus nations in Brunei next month for the inaugural Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief/Military Medicine joint military exercise. This full-troop troop exercise, involving nearly 2000 personnel, six ships, 18 helicopters and medical, engineering and search and rescue teams, underscores the commitment of ADMM-Plus countries to enhance confidence-building and increase regional capacity to address non-traditional security challenges.

Bearing in mind the importance of collaboration in tackling maritime security threats, the IMSC will indeed serve as another useful platform to demonstrate the collective commitment of the international community to tackle maritime issues that could undermine regional peace and stability. By bringing together eminent minds and renowned professionals with operational experience in maritime security, I am confident that the IMSC will provide insights that are valuable to your work and contribute to enhancing cooperation amongst nations. Beyond the institutional linkages that we have built up over the years, we also like to see such platforms enhancing the interpersonal links between officers from different nations. Because at the end of the day, beyond strengthening the institutional network, we will also want to strengthen the personal network that, in time of crisis and in time of need, we can call upon each other and work with each other that much faster, that much better.

I wish all of you a fruitful conference and a very pleasant stay in Singapore. It now gives me great pleasure to officially open the 3rd International Maritime Security Conference.

Thank you very much.