Singapore & China’s Naval Exercises! Secret War for Global Internet Control??

All right, hello everybody and welcome to Geopolitical Trends. My name is David Oualaalou. Good to be with you as always. Uh, like always, I want to make sure you guys can hear me, so if you would be kind and just give me a thumbs up if you can hear me. So I want to make sure, uh, once again, it's, uh, just the, uh, internet is a little bit different here. So let me— till I see— good, perfect. Thank you, guys. So coming live to you from the capital of the Kingdom of Morocco, Rabat. So Uh, excited as always to be here. So today we're gonna be talking about the, uh, recently, which is just concluded about 2 days ago, 2-3 days ago, for the, uh, Singapore and China's military naval drill, that is. So, but before I'll do all this, I'm gonna go through my routine as always. I like to extend my thanks to the channel's supporters and members and to all of your subscribers. And if this is your first time, let me see, sign, so that means the sound is good. Thank you, guys. Uh, if this is your first time, uh, landing on this channel here, please make sure to subscribe so you can maybe show your way of supporting this channel. So whatever way you feel comfortable with. So anyway, I appreciate all that. Like I said, today's topic, we'll be talking about Singapore-China's joint military exercises We just concluded. Now there are a lot of questions, and like I always do, I will, I will always start this with like some questions to consider. First of all, what is the significance of this? Okay, second one, the timing of it, because didn't happen just in a vacuum. And third one is perception. Why is this important? Because in international relations, context matters. And there is one, uh, surprising element which I will delve into, which I, I had to do the research on it. This is why last time I said I'm gonna have to wait on this till I get the right information that I need. So let me, uh, first of all share this photo with you just to show you first of all what we're gonna be, uh, talking about here. Actually, not this one. But rather this one here. Those are the, uh, the, the Chinese, uh, Singapore, uh, uh, drills that just concluded a day or two ago. So let me do the tour around the world so for you to at least know certain aspects. And I do find it very, very important for you to see this image you are looking at. This one pertained to an investigation that came from Tel Aviv in Israel, which shows that, uh, a defect in the Iron Dome system, because the Iron Dome system prevented interception of rockets fired from Gaza on the other side, on Palestine side. So, so it shows you the inadequacy of the Iron Dome system as one that will prevent sort of missiles from crossing over. The second one has to do with a sad story, but you guys need to know about it. Uh, this picture here today marks the 10th— yeah, the 10th anniversary of the, uh, I'm sure you all remember what took place back in, uh, in Bangladesh with the trash Tragedy of the garment worker, uh, factory. Well, as a matter of fact, the, the— because it burned down, but the workers of that garment factory still suffering to today, believe it or not. What makes even this even worse, guess who is in Bangladesh as we speak? None other than Victoria Noland. You should know who she is, right? She's the one who fomented all the turmoil in Ukraine back in 2014. She is right now, as we speak, in Bangladesh. You can only imagine what kind of trouble the country will be in that now she is there. So, all right, let's move on to the health section. And here is what I'm gonna share with you today. You guessed it right— onions. Why onions are important. They are, they are very— they have very impressive health benefits to it. So, so I'm gonna just share a few things with you, then we'll dive in into our topic here. So onions are highly nutritious, believe it or not, and have been associated with like some several, several benefits, health benefits, that is, including heart, heart health, that is, better blood sugar, control, because you can control the— especially for those pre-diabetes people. And the third one is the increased bone density. Yeah, onions do have— onions do have that, those properties, that is. So they are member— onions are member of the Allium genus of the flowering plants that also includes— get this, guys— garlic, shallots, leeks, and chives. Yeah, so I'm gonna just quickly state for you benefits here. For example, onions will be packed with nutrients such as potassium, which is a mineral that most of us are lacking. Majority of people are lacking enough potassium. So number 2 will be the heart health benefits, because onion contains antioxidant and compounds that fight inflammation. Okay, it decreases triglycerides and reduces cholesterol. What all this have in common? It, it protects your heart. Uh, that's one of the key important. Third one is loaded with antioxidants. Fourth is anti-cancer compounds in it. And fifth is it helps control blood sugar, as I said earlier, for those who are pre-diabetes, onions are good. Number 6 is it boosts bone density. Number 7 is antibacterial properties. And last one is it has— it can boost your digestive system. So that is what's important about onions. And, and once again, I'm only sharing with you what I do. I eat onions with my meals and just put everything whatever I need, whenever I need to eat, I'll just make some onions with it. So, all right guys, let's, uh, let's dive in into our topic because there's a lot to cover here. So, uh, and I'm gonna share some pictures with you at the same time as I am speaking here so you know at least, uh, a point of reference, shall we say. So, so like I said earlier, the drills, the naval drills that is between Singapore and China just concluded, and this is an example, at least in my opinion, and again I had to read up on it. I have to research a few other sources, and I have to sort of draw my own conclusion. And the conclusion that I came to is that, uh, the DRISS, which by the way, it's not new— China and Singapore have always done it— but there is more in it for— as a matter of fact, more, more in it for both countries, and I'll tell you why as we move forward. So for Singapore, at least, it's an attempt It's an attempt, yeah, by showing this, it's an attempt to maintain a delicate position because Singapore has always been in one of those, ah, do I go this way or that way, delicate positions of balance between Beijing and Washington. That's how always Singapore managed its foreign policy. So, so because again, Singapore, for Singapore, it seeks to navigate the regional sort of, uh, turbulence, that is political, that is, uh, roiled by, uh, by the growing strategic competition between Washington and Beijing. And because Singapore is right there at the heart of it. So, uh, just for this discussion here, guys, I'm not gonna get involved in what type of naval assets were used and all. It's all good, very important. And yes, the Singaporean Defense Ministry stated that the exercises comprised both on the shore and at the sea. So both phases, that is. So, and they, they're sort of like, again, there's bilateral exercises. Singapore does it with other foreign countries on a, on a sort of a multilateral level. This one here was specifically with China once again because it has some specific message that— and the message that is, is the one of neutrality. But there are other reasons, and I'm gonna get into that as I move forward. And again, because Singapore has to think in terms of its bilateral relations with China because of economic economics rather, but also has to think about the security aspects. And this is why the— I think I got you guys a quote here from the Defense Ministry. It says, and I quote, the Republic of Singapore Navy, known as RSN, Republic of Singapore Navy, conducts regular bilateral and multilateral exercises with foreign navies as part of its ongoing effort to enhance, uh, to enhance mutual trust and cooperation with other countries, end of quote. That is why it's very, very important to understand where the, uh, uh, why all of a sudden, because, uh, nobody expected that So let me say thank you once again to Osiris. Great, I can't thank you enough, man. I truly appreciate your continued support, and I— it means a lot to me, it truly does. And I want you to know this because I don't take this for granted. I don't. All of you guys, I just don't take you for granted because like I always say, your time is important. And for you to spend time listening to what I have to share with you, it becomes a responsibility for me that I have to give you something of value. Otherwise, you know, why waste your time? And I, I don't want anybody to waste my time, and I will— I will not waste your time either. So, so I, I can't thank you enough, Osiris. I truly appreciate it. So, uh, so what was I saying here? Because I always like to go and check, uh, uh, oh yeah, to share some pictures with you guys because you need to understand. Now, uh, understanding, uh, and again, we're gonna move away from just talking about the, the naval exercises and all that. I'll, I'll— because that's not where the focus is. When you usually explain, uh, something about an event You have to explain its reasons, you have to explain its consequences, and you have, you have to explain what does it mean, why this happen, why now, and so forth. This is why. But there is always, always one thing, guys, if I can always leave you with one advice or one, uh, idea, whatever you want to call it, is always think about the historical context. Because historical context is very, very important. Well, historic links between Singapore and, uh, and China, you know, began much earlier. It goes way back before the founding of the People's Republic of China in, uh, what was it, October 1949, if I'm not mistaken. So as a matter of fact, uh, and I found the picture here, by the way, which I would like to share with you. So you can see, uh, here's an old picture here. That's Mount— yeah, that's an old picture back in the, uh, back in the time. So, so the idea that, uh, uh, uh, even earlier than, than 1945— 1949, I'm sorry. So, uh, most early Chinese migrants. Yeah, yeah, Chinese migrants. Which they came to Singapore as a laborer to what was known at the time as Nanyang. Nanyang. That's— and the reason why they went there is because to escape poverty and war at that, because remember, there used to be a war at that time. So, so many ethnic Chinese Singaporeans derive their ancestral roots in southern China from 3 main regions. One is Fujian, second one is Guangdong, and third one is Hainan, is known as the way I know it recently as Hainan Island. So, so those are the— so many ethnic Chinese people in Malaya and Singapore had supported at that time China in the Second get this, guys, they have supported China in the Second Sino-Japanese War, which later on became World War II. Yeah, that's, that's— again, you have to understand this, this historical context to put this within the recent today's events for you to, to have a better understanding. So this support back then extended to aid in what they call the, the Kuomintang and the Chinese Communist Party against the Japanese. So it's almost like, uh, much like the, what they call them, the Viet— yeah, the Viet Minh, you know. The Malayan People Anti-Japanese Army guerrilla force turned into Malayan National Liberation Army, which was associated— yeah, this is the historical fact about it— it was associated with the Malayan Communist Party at the time. So the Malayan National Liberation Army fought, yeah, fought in the Malayan Emergency and the Second Malayan Emergency as communist guerrillas. And of course, there are certain books, historical books, that stated the wrong facts. You know, I usually tend to check with the people who are— like, for example, Dr. Hammond, Ken Hammond, which I trust. You know, if I have any question or doubt, whatever, I reach out to him. He's a friend. So So this is what happened at that time, that China was accused of exporting revolution to Southeast Asia during this time. So China's support for Malayan Communist Party ended when Malaysia and China, yeah, established diplomatic relations in 1974. It's very important for you guys to understand the historical context. So the joint military drills that, that Singapore conducted with, with China is, by the way, the first since China and Singapore held their combined naval exercises in South China Sea in September 2021. Yeah, this one, China worded certain ways, and I found the quote. China stated regarding this that it's— and I put in quote— boosted the two navies' mutual trust and enhanced the level of military cooperation between both countries, end of quote. Once again, you have to know how to read those statements, those political and diplomatic statements. China, as I said, stated boosted the two navies' mutual trust. What does it suggest right there? That China will not have doubts about Singapore doing about-turn like what the Philippines just did. That's basically what, what it means. And second part of the statement is enhance the level of military cooperation. That's another subtle message that China is sending to Singapore. It got nothing to be concerned or worry about. Of course, as long as Singapore doesn't turn over its territory to become a launching pad in case of a conflict like what happened now in Philippines. So, so, so here's the thing. Since the beginning of the— or since the establishment, rather, of the relations, diplomatic relations, that is, in 1990, that's when the official diplomatic relations between Singapore and China. The primary bond between Singapore and China has been not a military cooperation but economic. This is why I said what I said, what Singapore is thinking in terms of economic ties to Chinese market. So, but here's the thing, recently— when I say recently, I mean depending on the changes in the geopolitical landscape That's what's important. So like I said, since the beginning of their diplomatic relations in 1990, uh, the, the, the, the primary bond or the primary relationship between Singapore and China has always based— was based on economics. But recently, or recent years, that is, it has even seen the two nations, both China and Singapore, establish some sort of a closer security relations. That's very, very crucial, and I will tell you why, you know. And this is, of course, falls in line with Beijing's efforts to increase, uh, its military engagement in Southeast Asia. Of course, some other countries have other issues with China regarding this. Singapore is not one of them. So in October 2019, you know, that's based on the research that I conducted, you know. The two countries, Singapore and China, signed what is called an Enhanced Defense Agreement, which was nothing but an upgrade of the agreements on defense exchange and security cooperation that was signed back in 2008. So you can just see it was a strategic move on part of both countries. And again, that strategic move, if I am to explain it here, it has to do with the reflection of the changes in the, in the, in the global geopolitical landscape. That is why was that upgrade to that one. So, so this is why you have to put the Chinese-Singaporean, or they call them the Sino-Singaporean relations, under the microscope of this bilateral relations between China and Singapore. It's very, very important. And the reason being because since the establishment of the relation, diplomatic relations in the 1990s, because it was based on trade and of course the warming ties that came from other ASEAN nations. All of them towards mainland China. Why is that? Because the, the, the, the sheer size of the Chinese economic market. And this is once again, like I always say, you have to think in terms of the big picture. And the big picture is, this is why ASEAN countries decided to stay neutral regarding the ongoing tensions that's taking place right now in, in, in, in that part of the world. Second thing, the financial aspect. What, what, what did I say last time about ASEAN countries? ASEAN countries decided to drop the dollar, to drop the yen, to drop the, uh, the euro, and to drop, uh, yeah, those three— the, the British pound from trade. That is what's important about all this. And this is why, again, you have to understand why ASEAN women, except for Philippines— and again, the recent events with the, uh, the Filipino president sort of answered the question for me, so I don't have that question mark anymore about him, because that's it, that's it. I'll feel comfortable saying it. He sold out his country, his people. I can only imagine how Filipino people must be now. I must feel right now that they've been, or they feel, being betrayed. Yeah, that's a betrayal, basically. So like I said, Singapore and China, they maintain generally good relations, you know, especially China towards, uh, I'm sorry, Singapore towards China. No, but also there is a reason for that. It's because Singapore has to think about it partly as sort of, uh, uh, what's the word I'm looking for, hedge against possible US retrenchment. That's what Singapore has to think. It's a survival, you know, like we all know Singapore serves to a degree as a financial hub. I had to think about this, even though— and get this, guys— in 2016, what happened in 2016? Singapore supported an international tribunal, uh, tribunal rather, ruling deeming many of China's claims in the South China Sea as having no legal basis. So the question that I need to ask you And if you would be, if you feel like it, to leave the answer in the chat box, that would be fine. Do you think Singapore was pressured to do that, knowing that Singapore is not an active, it's, it's involved in ICC, but it's not in ICC, I'm sorry, the International Criminal Court, but does not play a major role, but yet it still can get involved from time to time. Do you think, in your opinion, in the decision they made, Singapore in 2016, supporting the International Tribunal ruling about China's claim for the South China Sea as illegal? Because here's the thing, you got about 5 or 6 countries that they are not part of the ICC. You got, of course, the United States. You get Russia, Israel, Libya, China, and Qatar. Yeah, those are the countries that are not part of the ICC. So let me, let me check, see if any of you put the answer whether Singapore was pressured or not. Oh, let me say thank you to Black Raven, much appreciate you for your kind support, it truly means a lot. Thank you so much. So let me guys know whether you think Singapore was pressured or not. So, so now let me get to the heart of what is really, really going on. Why you seeing this too many movements in South China Sea? Why you seeing so many drills and naval exercises? Last time it was, uh, it was, uh, uh, the United States and Philippines. You know, you're hearing about South Korea and the United States. You know, what is really at the heart of all this? Here's the thing. Somebody's car probably get, uh, anyway, uh, here's the thing. South China Sea maneuvers, you know, uh, always, always, guys, when you see a global event going on, okay, you have to think, do you have to think about what is connected to in other parts of the world? Sometimes it might be just within the region, but other times it will be on the other side of the globe. So in this case of South China Sea maneuvers, when I see maneuvers, I'm referring to the military exercises that have been conducted between the US, South China, Philippines, South Korea, and so forth. The idea is that it hides a secret, a secret. Yes, I'll use the term secret war. And guess for what? For global internet control. That's what it is. So I have a picture here for you. For you that I'm gonna share with you so you can see. And again, this is, uh, the, uh, the Prime Minister, the PM Lee from Singapore, with President Xi. Uh, but the picture that I want to share with you is this one right here. Those are submarines, Chinese submarines. Okay, it's important to understand that those are, by the way, nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, and China used this one during a parade in South China Sea. And again, because there is reason for that. So the massive military exercises that are— that took place between the US and Philippines in the South China Sea, and of course those that now just took place between Singapore and China are increasing tensions in the region. Because there is a reason why you're seeing so many movements, you know. Of course, the Philippines went ahead and, uh, sort of, uh, reported some sort of a confrontation about some fisher, uh, fish boats and so forth with the Chinese Navy. Well, all that is nothing but noise. You know, you have to get at the heart of the matter, and the heart of the matter is this: whoever dominates the South China Sea, because it's one of the world's most important shipping lanes for oil, minerals, and food, so whoever gets to control that will control more than a fifth, yeah, fifth of the global trade. It's no small matter. But the region in the South China Sea area and all that region there, the region's biggest economic asset— it's not natural resources— is big data. What do I mean by this? The future of the internet depends on who wins the battle for control of the strategic waterways. Why? Because there are so many undersea cables for internet. There are more than 400— get this, guys— 486 submarine cables that carry more than 99% of all international internet traffic globally. And that, uh, and, and here is the kicker to all this: a handful of only American tech giants control the bulk of it. And I'm gonna share with you a particular information. So, so, but, but, but just start now, move away from this naval drills, just about naval and all that, to start to think about strategic reason for why things happen. So the internet economy in Southeast Asia is expected, yeah, to reach about a trillion dollars by 2030. We're looking at about, what, 7, 7 years, 6 years and a half or so. So whoever— that is why, again, whoever controls the submarine cable infrastructure in Asia and the Pacific will dominate not only this booming economy but also the global internet. This is why it's important, and especially because, like I said a couple times ago, I mean, all my writing I've talked about this few years ago, the wealth has already shifted from the West to the East. You know, Asia is gonna be the economic hub for the global economy, it's led by China. It's a reality, you know. I know, and back home here in the US, I get criticized for saying, you know, I don't care. I really don't. There are those who are not willing to hear the truth, you know. That's, that it is what it is. The internet data streams, those cables that they have there Undersea. And I said again, this is— we're talking about emails, we're talking about banking transactions, we're talking about military secrets and all that. So they are far more important and better than oil. Oil, of course, you will need it for the economy, there is no way about it. But having access to that, to the data, having access to this cable for for traffic, for banking, and so forth, is very, very important. So the world submarine infrastructure is really increasingly now vulnerable, not only to sabotage. We also— what happened with Nord Stream 2 pipeline, can you imagine what would happen with the cable if somebody, some entity, some whatever, wants to sabotage that? You know, because the sabotage will also impact spy agencies, you know, because they can easily take advantage of, of their presence in this territory. So this is why you have to understand the geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China has focused more on control of the world submarine cables network. That exists right there in South China Sea. This is what's at the heart of it. So, and again, go back to the beginning when I just start talking about this and I asked those 3 questions: why now, the timing, and the perception. Now you're getting your answer for that. So here is another very crucial information. American technology giants Facebook and Google, but mainly Google built— yeah, built the first Asian submarine cable. It's called Apricot, and it has a length of about 12,000— yeah, 12,000 kilometers. And of course, it avoids Hong Kong by— to bypass— the reason why it avoids Hong Kong is to bypass Chinese control. And of course, what's interesting about it, which the Japanese do not understand or realize, this one is connected to Japan, to Taiwan, Guam, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Singapore, but it excludes Malaysia, which has quickly now become the focus of the United States Chinese competition, or of the US-China competition rather, for control of the global internet. So the Apricot cable is expected to be ready for service— guess what, guess when, guys? Next year, 2024. And this one here will complement the recently announced, uh, sort of the Echo cable that will connect the US Singapore, Guam, and Indonesia. So the idea of that Malaysia was excluded from the US-backed submarine cable project, project rather, has already, already sort of set the, uh, the future of global internet at stake, because that's what it is. Because if Malaysia— here is my thinking about it— If Malaysia falls under the, the, the dominance of China, this will have, uh, some— it will change the, it will change the equation, the geopolitical that is, and the economic to a degree. So it will change it not only for Malaysia but for, first of all, for ASEAN countries, no exception. And this could lead to some ripple effects economically, financially, militarily, and technologically, of course. So, so this is why, uh, now the US is watching closely what's taking place in Kuala Lumpur with the government, because the US wants to secure the digital cooperation of Malaysia. That is what's at the heart of it. So, so even though now we think in terms of, uh, uh, uh, the US remains closer when it comes down to security to, uh, Singapore, there's a change on the horizon. The relationship is changing because Singapore is realizing that it has to really walk that fine line which Philippines failed to do. Singapore does not want to repeat the same mistake because they are watching this, seeing what's going on with Philippines. South Korea is gone. Japan is gone. Australia is gone. I don't know if you guys got a chance to listen to the conversation I had with Robbie Barwick. You know, this is what I see why Singapore decided to really go ahead and get involved in this particular naval drills with China. Yes, it looks from outside those are just bilateral cooperation, which is Singapore and China have been doing this. Most countries do that. We do it, we participate with other countries. But in this case is different, it's very different, because again what's behind the scenes, which what I just shared with you. That is where I— that's what's at the heart of this, you know. And, and again, the reason why I didn't do the Singapore— there's this topic before is because I had to check on the information to make sure it's accurate before I'll come on the air and share it with you. So, so this is what— let me see if you guys answer the question, as to whether, uh, Singapore was pressured in 2016, uh, to sort of support the International Criminal Court decision. And I wrote about it in my last 3 books because I was aware of it at that time when I was conducting the research. So, all right, let me see if I have any questions from you guys. And by the way, let me know where you are joining me from. Uh, oh, Peter Lim, you're, you're right. He said, he wrote, and I— let me show it here for you guys. As a Singaporean, my country is too small to pick sides. Throughout Singapore history, we not only have military exercises with China but also with the US, Australia, and even India. India is another concern for me, personally. Why? Because I am trying to figure out what's India's, uh, really strategic thinking moving forward as being part of BRICS. And one of, uh, our, our viewers in the community here puts that statement also, because I remember I read it, and, and logical and legit, legitimate arguments. And I couldn't agree more. How come India is being part of the of the BRICS, and at the same time India's being part of the Quad. Uh, you can't, you can't be playing both sides. So that's why I'm questioning what is the strategic thinking in, in, in, in New Delhi moving forward. So, so you're absolutely correct, uh, countries cannot play, uh, sort of, uh, Singapore is too small and they cannot— it's not about risk, it's not about being afraid, it just is a survival. That's normal, but they have to understand that there's ways diplomatically of how you can maneuver, you know. There's not— most countries do that. It's just you have to have well-seasoned diplomats, not amateurs who understand really what's at the heart of geopolitics, you know, because it's not enough just to go to a country, shake hands with the leaders, take a photo up and all that. No, no, no, no. That, that, that just doesn't cut it. It doesn't cut it. So, all right, let me see where you are joining me from here, and I'm gonna sort of, uh, check out some, a few questions here, and I will close it up for you guys. All right, let me see where you are joining me from. Uh, good to see you, Athene Wu, as always. Uh, okay, yeah, if you can be kind, just type where you are joining me from if you feel like it. You don't have Hello to you, uh, David K. Okay, uh, let me see here, and I'm scrolling down. And once again, guys, I truly appreciate the— you keeping it civil in the discussions here in the chat room. I read it, I read most of your stuff later on, and I truly appreciate you for doing that. Uh, it's just we have a different audience here and And you guys different, and I like to appreciate you for all this. All right, let me see, uh, uh, and I'm scrolling down. It's again, internet is a little bit slow here, uh, but it's working so far. So, uh, let me see here. Yeah, Ariel, of course, from Argentina. That's one. Uh, all right, let me go take a look now, see if they are, uh, yeah, Hungry from UK, as always. Thank you for being here, truly appreciate it. So Let me go take a look at some questions. I'm gonna go back to the top quickly here and see. Thank you very much. Is— let me pronounce this name here— Istiak Mujib Tafader. Thank you very much, appreciate it. That was when I asked the question about the sound, so I just want to make sure. All right, I'm gonna take— I don't see any question here, guys. Yet. So sometimes it takes time for it to come up, you know. All right, Ariel, I see question here from Ariel. Don't you think the US also pressured Thailand regarding the Kra Canal? You know, don't you think Singapore also is happy that was delayed? I, I think so, uh, you know. And again, this is, uh, Why I— back then in 2016, I was doing the research for, uh, I think at that time for the Iran book, you know. I was doing simultaneous research for the Iran book and the Saudi book. Then 2017, I started the research for the Russia book, and I did address this kind of, uh, uh, question whether Singapore was pressured and, and I was convinced that it was at the time. That's how I reached that one, my conclusion back at the time. So, all right, let me see one more question here. Uh, okay, I'm gonna go all the way down here to see because that's Oh, Steph Lynn from Canada, good to have you as always, and I appreciate your support here being on the channel. So, uh, Athene Wu, nice music on the background. No, that's, that's from the computer, it's generated here, you know, just to get in into this one here, uh. Okay, uh, Mansi from Mumbai, India, good to have you. Appreciate you being here. So, okay, let me, uh, see if there's any question here. Okay, I don't see any questions, guys, so that was it. Uh, where is that one? Uh, All right, well, I don't have any question here, so I am gonna wrap it up here, guys. Just to conclude, uh, my conversation here, so the idea of, uh, you have to think in terms of, uh, uh, the exercises that took place, there are some sort of, uh, uh, really how, uh, Singapore It's a good example. It's really a good example as to how, for example, in the case of Singapore, it wants to maintain some sort of a balance between China and the US. It's, it's in an, in an era of increasing strategic sort of implications for what might lie ahead, because the geopolitical changes can take really, really unexpected turns. Like what we are witnessing right now with one specific thing, and it has to do with how countries moving away from the US dollar. You know, that's a— this is to me an outcome of what the geopolitical shift, because for us in the United States, we didn't see it coming that way. We always had the thinking that the dollar will always be the mighty dollar. Till now, you are seeing countries one after another moving away from the dollar. The big concern that I have for my country is the idea if we default on our, uh, debt or our obligations to pay our debt, the outcome would not be, uh, pleasant for most of us Americans. Some of us are prepared, others are not. Some of us are oblivious to what's going going on to begin with, you know. So this is why you need to put this within the context of why Singapore decided to embark on this, on this path by doing the exercises right now, because the timing of it is very, very crucial, you know, sending a message to both big giants, China and the United States. So, well, guys, I hope, uh, you find this very informative. And I always appreciate you being here. As I always say, your time is very important to me, and I want you to get some value out of you being here sharing this time with me. I look forward— I'm, as always, I'm open to your suggestions as far as topics. I do look at the comments. I thank you enough for keeping it civil in this chat room here. I really appreciate you for that. Because it shows just the level, and we want to be slightly different, if I may use the term. So I wish you a good day, good evening, good afternoon, whatever part of the world you're in, and I look forward to seeing you next time. As always, remember, geopolitics impacts your daily life in more ways than one. Till next time, guys. Bye-bye.