Dialogue is seen as a key mechanism in this process. Singapore's sponsorship of the Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD), launched in 2002, is viewed by its leadership as an important contribution.
'The informal environment is conducive for creative ideas to emerge, and this has supported the birth of practical cooperation in areas such as the Maritime Straits Patrol,' Mindef said.
'While the SLD is insulated from the demands of political deliverables, it is well supported by security establishments from the region and beyond. This allows the SLD to provide a robust framework for cooperation.'
02 June 2008: Straits Times
By Robert Karniol, Defence Writer
SINGAPORE'S enthusiasm for a regional security architecture is rooted in its long-standing penchant for defence diplomacy.
Diplomacy is a fundamental tenet of Singapore's defence policy - intended, in part, to address vulnerabilities inherent in its small size. This produced a 'spider's web' of bilateral military relations that have since been supplemented by multilateral activity.
Singapore was an early proponent of multilateralism in the security sphere. But several other countries in the region were hesitant, preferring bilateral frameworks. This was particularly apparent on substantive defence issues.
This hesitancy has dissipated in recent years. The reason is simple, as the Singapore Ministry of Defence (Mindef) explained in a statement to The Straits Times.
'The security and well-being of our countries are linked more intimately than could have been imagined only a decade ago. With the post-Cold War change in the global security environment and emergence of common transnational threats, there has been increasing recognition of the interdependencies of countries,' Mindef said.
'While the regional security architecture was previously characterised by alliances formed around a clear ideological divide, it is now more appropriately described as a loose overlapping pattern of partnerships formed around functional areas of interest.'
The region's gradual acceptance of multilateral military activity is considered of vital importance by Singapore. 'With the advancing of multilateral cooperation, we have improved our means of information exchange,' Mindef stated.
'This was evidenced by the massive multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations after the Boxing Day tsunami in December 2004 and in Yogyakarta in May 2006.'
Dialogue is seen as a key mechanism in this process. Singapore's sponsorship of the Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD), launched in 2002, is viewed by its leadership as an important contribution.
'The informal environment is conducive for creative ideas to emerge, and this has supported the birth of practical cooperation in areas such as the Maritime Straits Patrol,' Mindef said.
'While the SLD is insulated from the demands of political deliverables, it is well supported by security establishments from the region and beyond. This allows the SLD to provide a robust framework for cooperation.'
Mindef argues that this initiative is particularly required for the sake of cohesion. 'Given the diverse defence and security networks in the Asia-Pacific, it is important that the SLD is cast on a firm foundation so that it can continue to play a role in shaping and building this evolving regional security architecture.'
Singapore further emphasises the importance of translating talk into action.
'Besides engaging in dialogues, regional countries need to productively channel the momentum generated by shared perspectives and shared interests to the development of practical cooperation and the building of capacities to tackle the threats and security challenges,' Mindef explained.
It also argues that the Asia-Pacific region needs 'to look at how we can bring the defence community's practical and action-oriented focus to bear on the new transnational security threats'.
This view of defence mechanisms geared to addressing common concerns and interests rather than a common enemy is also apparent in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation linking China and Russia with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Singapore's vision foresees a regional security architecture built on three principles: inclusiveness, collective responsibility and respect for international law. But it also sees a broader linkage underlying the effort.
'An open architecture for economic cooperation is consistent with the need for a regional security architecture. A stable regional security climate is an important component for economic development and, likewise, stable economic development contributes to regional security,' Mindef said.
'Economic development and regional security are closely intertwined.'
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, in his keynote address last Friday at the SLD, moved beyond this link to ruminate on shifts in the balance of power.
'Asia's growth is not a zero-sum game.? Over the next 25 years, Asia's growth will contribute to a doubling of the world economy.
'It is in the vital interest of the developed world to accommodate a rising Asia, and engage the region constructively.? For their part, as Asian countries become more and more interlinked with the rest of the world, they will have bigger stakes in the international system and greater responsibilities in global affairs,' he said.??
An effective security architecture in the Asia-Pacific region, he and others would argue, is integral to this intricate construct.
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