Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and US Vice President Kamala Harris hold a joint news conference in Singapore on August 23. (Photo: Reuters)Harris, for her part, affirmed the US’s enduring relationship to Singapore, Southeast Asia and to reinforce a shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
She also reaffirmed the US’s commitment to working with its allies and partners around the Indo-Pacific to uphold the rules-based international order, and freedom of navigation, including in the South China Sea (called East Sea in Vietnam).
The US and Singapore reached security agreements that reaffirm America's presence in the region through "rotational deployments of US P-8 aircraft and littoral combat ships to Singapore," according to a fact sheet of the meeting shared by the White House.
Both sides also agreed to expand cybersecurity cooperation in the financial sector, the military and enhance information exchange on cyber threats. They also struck a partnership to fight COVID-19 and prepare for the next pandemic; and agreed to tackle the global climate crisis, promote smart cities and green building standards throughout ASEAN.
Harris is scheduled to visit Singapore's Changi Naval Base and tour the USS Tulsa combat ship during the trip to Singapore. One of the initiatives launched during the visit is starting a US-Singapore dialogue on building supply chains.
Singapore is not a US treaty ally, but remains one of its strongest security partners in the region with deep trade ties./.
VNA
