The United States , India and Japan all have strong links of their own with China
By Leslie Koh
Statues of the Lord Ganesha are an essential part of worship for Hindus in India.
Yet many of these statues are now made just across the border in China, and are increasingly popular in India.
It is just one of the many examples of the strong trade between the emerging Asian economic giants, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said at a security conference last night.
With China being India's second-largest trading partner, it is unlikely for India to take sides with the United States against Beijing, he said.
Likewise, there is too much at stake for Japan to side with either the US or China. China is Japan's largest trading partner, and the US and Japan are steady allies.
A Japanese politician told Mr Lee during his recent visit to Tokyo that Japan would be "finished" if it sided with China. But it would also be in "deep trouble" if it sided with the US over shared security concerns over Taiwan.
So there is unlikely to be a destabilising situation where the four major powers in the region will be divided, with China on one side and the US, India and Japan on the other.
The question had been posed to him by Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies academic Amitav Acharya after his speech at the opening of the conference, dubbed the Shangri-La Dialogue.
Said Mr Lee: "The links with China are by all the parties. America has many links with China...
"This will be a relationship where all four have room to play a role, but India and Japan will try very hard not to have to make a choice between the two."
Mr Lee also quoted Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as saying that "the world is large enough to accommodate the growth and ambitions of both our countries".
But Mr Lee also acknowledged the challenges of integrating the two rising economies into the changing architecture in the region, while maintaining the balance and stability.
He noted that there were several regional trouble spots, such as cross-strait relations between China and Taiwan, the Korean peninsula and India and Pakistan's dispute over Kashmir.
Mr Lee was also asked if the US would be invited to join the East Asia Summit, a grouping that comprises Asean, China, Japan. and South Korea. India, Australia and New Zealand could be invited to join the summit.
Involving the US, Mr Lee pointed out in his frank reply, might not be useful to both the grouping and the US, as it might over-lap with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.
CHINA HELPING OTHER NATIONS: PM
"China's emergence is the central reality in Asia... China realises that it needs to help other nations to benefit from China's growth, and has been doing so actively and intelligently.
China is aware of the potential disruption its growth may create, and has affirmed its determination to develop peacefully.
It is assuming responsibilities commensurate with its growing weight, and stepping up to diplomatic and security challenges such as those posed by North Korea.
