Singapore Saying to the US, ‘Thanks but No Thanks’!

Everybody, and welcome to Geopolitical Trends. So excited to be with you today. The topic I'm gonna be covering today is of great, great geopolitical importance, and this one has to do with, of course, China and Singapore regarding the military joint exercises. So I'm going to basically provide you my insights, my assessments as to where I see things moving forward, and also the significance of this joint military exercises given the fact that it came just after the US conducted counterterrorism exercises with Singapore. So this is what I'm going to be detailing with you today, uh, but before I'll delve deeper into all this, like I always do, I like to extend my sincere thanks to all of you supporters, channel members, supporters. And for you, if this is your first time, please, please hit, hit the subscription button. You know, you guys know how the algorithm work on YouTube. 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So I got just few, uh, announcements to make here, uh, for you guys who are not familiar with my channel. My health channel is just launched yesterday. I had a great conversation with none other than Dr. Stewart, who happens to understand great deal about, uh, the health, uh, uh, issues and so forth. So I'm gonna share a link with you if you are interested in learning about The importance of sleep. Yes, you heard me, uh, importance of sleep. So check it out when you got time. And, uh, next week I think I'm gonna be talking about— with Dr. Stewart, I'm gonna be talking about anxiety, what you need to know about that. Uh, Osiris, let me say thank you to you as well, man. Osiris is another supporter that literally since I started this channel has been on. It's been also on the other channel as well, so So there are some, you know, I can't thank you enough. I really can't thank you enough, guys. You know, this is the way you show your support, and I truly appreciate it. This is why I take time to talk about this. Some people get upset because I take 5 minutes to acknowledge, uh, people. Well, to me, that's— you show gratitude. That's just how we ought to be. If you couldn't be patient for another 5 minutes, there is something wrong with you. You need to look inward. So that's how I look at it. So anyway, thank you so much, Osiris. Truly appreciate your continued support. Uh, another thing I wanted to mention to you guys, of course, uh, some of you might know or might not know that I launched, uh, the government course. It start, uh, last Tuesday I had the welcome call, and this coming Tuesday it will be the first a chapter in that course. So if you are interested, uh, just sign up for that one, uh, if, if is of interest to you. So, uh, another announcements I want to make, and this one has to do with the— I didn't share this picture with you. Let me, let me share it with you guys quickly here because you need to know. This is based on one of the viewers, uh, on this channel here that recommended this to me. And I did reach out to the professor, so here it is. I'm gonna share it with you guys because I want you to see. Yeah, does anybody know who this gentleman is? Or professor, not a gentleman of course, but a professor. Can anybody tell me? Let me see if you guys can recognize who it is. Uh, began is, uh, okay, I guess it takes time, it takes time for, for, for this to show up here. So anyway, this is, uh, this is Professor, um, uh, Wang Jiangzu. So he's an Australian historian, Scientologist, —sino-logist, I'm sorry—and a writer specialist in the history of China and Southeast Asia. Very— I read some of his work, very, very, you know, well established. And he was kind enough today to send me an email and apologized for not being able to make it because of his hectic schedule, and I understand. So it was— it just shows character. It shows character of somebody like that to really take the time and respond. So just for the person who, uh, posted this asking me if I could, uh, interview, uh, the, the professor, well, I reached out, but he's not able to, to make it. Another guy is by the name, uh, uh, Carl Zara. I'm gonna reach out to him and invite him on the show. All right, let's get into our topic here. So what are— what am I going to talk about today is this one here. This one has to do with Singapore. China just concluded— I think yesterday— just concluded their joint military drill. So the question becomes, is what is the significance of that? Of course, the timing. And the third thing is, what message is Singapore and China sending, and to whom? So this is what I am going to get into this today. So, and of course, right off the bat, because we have to ask, given the dynamics that's taking place in that part of the world, especially with the conclusion of the G20, because you all know right after G20, where did President Biden went? Where did he go? He went to Vietnam. What does Vietnam share with the rest of the region there? Being a member of ASEAN, but also trying to balance out between its economic needs with China, of course, and of course the, uh, uh, reflection of the geopolitical landscape. Well, Singapore is no different, and this is why I always ask the question, will Singapore maintain— because here is the thing, as of the time of this recording, so far based on the data that I looked at, Singapore still stands neutral. So will Singapore maintain its neutrality vis-à-vis China-US rivalry? Because Singapore, one way or another, it's gonna play a major role in managing those geopolitical changes in this place. And of course, this comes on the heels of what just happened in Singapore. Can anybody tell me? It was, it was just yesterday, I guess, yesterday or two days ago. Oh, Carl, you're right. What happened in Singapore? Oh, show. Oh, Hong Wong, thank you so much. Hong Wong has been supporting this channel also regularly. I appreciate you, Hong Wong, and thank you so much for your continued support. You wrote, did, did you see Biden, uh, post about his nice talk with the leader of Vietnam? Oh, wait a minute till you see the video tomorrow. I'm releasing a video on it, and I intend to do a live stream on it because of what took place and what's behind the scenes. This is why I cannot categorize Vietnam as being neutral so far in comparison to Singapore. So, so be on the lookout, guys, for a video I'm going to release tomorrow about Vietnam. So thank you so much, uh, Hong Wong, thank you so much for your support. Now here's the thing, like as I said, what just happened in Singapore? Can anybody tell me? Let me see. Uh, yes, you are absolutely correct, a new president. And the question is how the new president is going to manage. Mind you, the role of the president is just a formality. Is the prime minister that is managing the affairs of Singapore. So, and I intend to address that one, uh, as I move forward into this. So, and here is China and Singapore, as I said, just have concluded, uh, uh, their— I think those are the fifth, uh, exercises, uh, of their bilateral training. This is through some sort of an agreement between both countries. This is not the first time So, uh, and this considered the, the fourth or I think the fifth, because I've been, I've been always aware of, of those, uh, especially when it comes down to military exercises. Those are different from what the United States just had with Singapore regarding counter-terrorism. Those are completely separate. So basically, I'm not gonna get into what was used in the exercises. Basically what you have, you have the elite Chinese and Singaporean ground forces. They exercise in certain type of maneuvers in, in reconnaissance, in, in control, encirclement and control, in penetration. That's usually when we say penetration, we are referring into the crossing the hard line into either the enemy territory or whatever area you're dealing with. Then of course the, the fire strikes and so forth. I'm not gonna get into this. I'll be happy to share with you a link, uh, where you can read up on it later on if you feel like it. What I am going to cover, however, is the message and the geopolitical implications of something like that. That's what I intend to do. So the idea of understanding, uh, where this dynamics fits in— well, before we do all this, it behooves us to at least understand, I don't ever assume, you know, I'm somebody, I don't assume things. I don't assume everybody knows about the geography of Singapore. I don't assume everybody knows about the history of Singapore. So this is why once in a while when I do this kind of live streams, I intend to address the geography and the, uh, the, the history briefly, of course. So, so let's start with the geography. So I'm gonna leave some maps here for you to see because you need to have an understanding of what are we talking about here. So the geography of Singapore— well, Singapore, it's considered sort of an island city-state in Southeast Asia. That's where it is exactly. And, uh, its geographical location lies off the southern edge of the Malay Peninsula. So, and, uh, this area, the area, the total area is about 734 kilometers square kilometers. The equivalency of 280, uh, uh, square miles. And it is separated from the penins— uh, Peninsular Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to the north. So I know you can, guys, see my cursor where it is. So, and from Indonesia's Raya Islands by the Singapore Strait to the south. So This is part of where, uh, Singapore— so of course known officially as the Republic of Singapore, that's how it is known. What I found very interesting about Singapore is the division into the councils. How many councils? And I did find the map, I'm going to share it with you, and I'm going to keep it there. Once again, you guys can see me pointing with my cursor, uh, where the— those, uh, development, or they called community Development Council. So I'm going to share this with you. So there are about 5 of them. So you have the Central Singapore CDC, which is the Community Development Council. Then you have the Northeast CDC. Then you have the Northwest CDC, Southeast CDC, and Southwest CDC. And what's interesting about this, I found it very interesting, I did not know this. This is why I say, guys, this is a learning process for me as well, you know. Each Community Development Council has been further subsidized or, or subdivided— I am sorry, subdivided into electoral constituencies and town councils. So basically what it means to me, in my opinion, everybody in the community is involved. This is why the election of the new president didn't reflect the population and, or, or who's the majority, who's the minority. No, no, no, no. It reflected the will of the people. This is what's important. So one thing also about, uh, geography you need to understand about Singapore. Singapore has the largest port in Southeast Asia and one of the busiest maritime ports in the world. So you can just see now to understand the importance of the economic ties between Singapore and China. So, and with an area of about 725 square kilometers, uh, Singapore is home to a population of about 5 million people or residents. So, uh, Singapore again has the second largest population density in the world I think the first one is Tokyo, if I'm not mistaken. So, and here is what I found very interesting. Even in the research, they had to state this officially, and I wonder why. This is not in vacuum. You know what it says? It says Singapore is the only true sovereign city-state in the world. I, I found it very, very interesting. So, because again, it wasn't said just in, in, in, in a vacuum here. There is a reason why. Uh, here is another map here, guys, for you just to see clearly. Uh, and again, all this is very important to understand. The next thing has to do with the, uh, uh, let me see if I have, because there is one. Oh, I do have a picture for you. I'm going to show you soon. Uh, the other thing is the history. Again, how much do we know about Singapore? When I was in Washington, DC, I used to have some colleagues who were stationed in, in, in working, or rather, in Singapore, uh, at the, the embassy there. So of course we met. When we meet for dinner somewhere in the world, whatever, we chat. And the one thing I remember I was told about Singapore is how clean the country is. And that is very— I never been there. I intend one day to visit that part of the world, and I hope to do so. Uh, one thing, as I said, important is the history. So I'm gonna share a few things about the historical aspect because it's very important. So let me put a map for you that reflects the history aspects, and I'm gonna leave this in to put it within the context of what I'm talking about. So, so here is the, the, the, uh, the, the beginning of Singapore, if I may use the term. So Singapore Island originally was inhabited by fishermen and pirates. That was back then, and it served as an outpost for the Sumatran Empire of Srivijaya. Srivijaya, yeah, yeah, Sri-Vijaya. Yeah, so it's hard to pronounce this kind of word. So, so, so, Srivijaya Empire, uh, which was both maritime and commercial So one that is flourished back into almost between the 7th and the 13th centuries. So which is largely in what is now Indonesia as a whole. That's how the kingdom was back then. And of course, the kingdom back then was originated in Palmenbang on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. So, and soon extended his influence and control to the Strait of Malacca. So, so, and this is what's very important to understand, this dynamic. So, so the Javanese, the Javanese, a part of the Java stuff, inscriptions and the Chinese record, because I looked into it just to have an understanding, dated to the end of the 14th century. So, and I found that, that, uh, uh, the more common name for that were two names. It actually is the same except is, uh, spelled differently. The name is Tumasik. It's spelled T-U-M-A-S-I-K, which I found in the different records spelled as T-E-M-A-S-E-K. It's the same thing. Just it's pronounced differently or spelled differently. So, and this is what I found very, very important. So the other aspect has to do with, uh, where Rajendra Chola I was the ruler at that time of the southern Indian Chola Kingdom. And this one, the one that attacked the island in about 1025. So, and in 1275, The Javanese king Kertanagara probably attacked the Temasek when he raided Pahagan on the east coast of the peninsula. And this one according to a Chinese traveler back then by the name Wang, and I looked him up on the record, by the name of Wang Yang Dayuan. It's D-A-Y-U-A-N. It was just before 1349. That's when it was. So why again, why is those— why all this is important to understand? It's because you have to go back to the beginning of the history of the country itself to put it in perspective as to why it is adopting the policies that we see today. You know, all— I always say nothing happens in a vacuum, and there is a reason for it. So, so why is important for us to understand that? It's because Rajendra may have named— and, and I'm going to share something else with you here, picture. To those who've been in, in, in Singapore, we know what I'm referring to here. So what's important about this is that Rajendra may have named the city Sangapura, which means— the translation is Lion City, which later contributed to Singapore. There is also, I saw, another record that shows that the name may have been bestowed in the 14th century by the Buddhist monks. To whom the lion was a symbolic character. This is what I found very, very important. So, so now there is another aspect we need to understand, and the other one has to do with the whole, uh, Singapore as far as the, the, uh, the Strait settlements. This is why you have to understand the existence of Singapore vis-à-vis its foreign policy. Yeah, it's a small place, it can be wiped out in no time by any force. But again, Singapore is smart enough to manage its foreign policy by way of ensuring neutrality. And this is what I see when it comes down to the current US-China rivalry. Unlike, for example, the Philippines been sucked in. I like— unlike Australia, it's been sucked in into the orbit. I like New Zealand, which is now big question mark on. I am waiting to see till October, which is next month, the, the, the elections of the prime ministership. So unlike Japan and, and South Korea, those are gone, of course. So, and now I'm questioning also Indonesia to a degree. Because this is where I compare Vietnam right now, and I intend to do a live stream to highlight more detail about where I see Vietnam is going, especially after the visit and the elevation of its status by the United States, which was done for strategic reason. Because don't, don't, don't tell me that Vietnamese forgot what has— what the United States did, what we did to them back then. It's a dark, uh, uh, a dark part of history. So, so, and this is why you need to understand the straight, straight settlements. What do I refer— what do I mean by all this? Well, Singapore is sort of— think about it, you have to go back to a little bit in history, and I'm going to take you back to about 1840s, around that time. Because the Singapore trade at that time suffered. Why did it suffer? It's because the British at that time developed a rival port. Where was it? Can anybody tell me where was the rival port at that time developed by the Brits? Just a little bit to check on your historical knowledge here. So can anybody tell me? And the reason— I'll give you a hint. That place had just been turned over to China. All right, I'm waiting to see. I know it takes time here to show up because I like to engage you guys. That's the whole idea. No more, no less. Not to put you on the spot. So— well, you got it, you got it, Hong Wong. It was Hong Kong indeed. You're absolutely correct. But it's very important for you guys to understand because what's going on right now, right now in Britain, they are shouting about, oh, how China took over Hong Kong and all, all that. No, no, the deal was closed when officially Hong Kong had to be turned over to China's sovereignty. End of story. Yeah, this is why it's, it's very crazy, you know, it's very crazy what some in Britain are saying. No, you can't be playing double game here. So, and this is what happened back in 1840s with Singapore because British, or Britain at that time, developed the Hong Kong port as a rival. So, uh, so, but later it was suffered also. Who was suffering? Singapore was suffered from the French occupation of the mainland in Southeast Asia. I remember when I went to Cambodia, I could still see the influence of France in that part of the world after all these years. So, and of course, we cannot forget what the French history in that part of the world was with all the nuclear testings subjugating the locals into the exposure to, uh, toxic stuff and, and radiations and so forth. So, and, and, and what the French did— the French, of course, back then, if you check history, you will find out that they have developed Saigon. This is why I'm saying, guys, always see the big picture. It will give you a clear understanding as to why a country will embark on a certain foreign policy. And in this case we're talking about Singapore. So, and it was in Saigon at that time, which is now currently is Ho Chi Minh City. So I've heard, I read a little bit about this one here. So then it was in the Haiphong in Vietnam, and from that establishment of who came after the French? The Dutch. So you can just see the colonialism was sort of returning it from one country to the next, one to the next, one to the next. Because that's exactly what happened in Vietnam. After the French left, the US stepped in. So almost I see what's same thing is going on in, in your— in Africa. But ain't gonna happen. This is why I released the video for you today about the attempt coup against, uh, the Burkina Faso, uh, interim president Ibrahim Traoré. So it's because the colonial powers wants to turn it over to the next. I don't think so it's going to happen in Africa, mark my word on it. So, and this is exactly what, what happened back then in, in this part of the world. So when the Dutch got involved into the port and the shipping lanes, because it was under what was called at that time the Dutch East Indies Indies, which is what? What is the Dutch East Indies today? What— which country are we talking about? Let me again just see your knowledge here of history. That was the name that was given to the current country. Can anybody tell me which country I'm referring to? Or if you recall, uh, historically speaking, where the Dutch were in, in, in that part of, of, of Asia? Can anybody put that, the answer there on the chat box? Netherlands, you're absolutely correct. The Dutch, you absolutely correct. Let me show you here. Yes, you're absolutely correct. Taiwan Sail, you are correct. So it was the Dutch at that time, uh, that, that established, which is in present day Indonesia. So, and here is the thing, This is once again, just think about this, with the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, okay? This is why— why am I mentioning this, guys? I'm mentioning this because what was the decision after the— well, not the decision, the, the MOU, the Memorandum of Understanding of G20 You all know what it is, right? It was the corridor— India, Middle East, Europe corridor. So how can you go through that route without using the Suez Canal or the Indian Ocean, as one of, uh, one of, one of my viewers here in the channel mentioned, which was absolutely spot on? It just didn't make any sense when you have all that body of water, all of a sudden you're going through the Middle East by avoiding even Euro-Asia and so forth. So the Suez Canal, that's why they would— it just, it's mind-boggling that if they think they're gonna do this and bypass Suez Canal. So because here's the thing, after 1869, sort of, uh, uh, uh, what did it start after that? It starts the steam ships, and steam ships start bringing goods, which represented an era of prosperity at that time. So, and that led eventually to the construction of about, uh, uh, what it was, 4 kilometers, 3 miles equivalency, uh, of, uh, of, uh, uh, uh, waves on the Tangon Pagar For those local who live there, you would know the area what I'm talking about. And finally, it was in 1921 as a naval base. That is the importance of why the, for example, the Malacca Strait, why you, you understand trillions of dollars of goods have to go through that water. And any disruption to that, it's not going to impact just China, it's going to impact the entire world for that matter. So, and this is where the Brits at that time, because of the economic growth of the Malay states after they became British protectorates, which enlarged the transit trade. That is why it's very important. And of course, this built into World War, uh, uh, uh, 2 at that time, but before that, of course, World War I Why? Because the demand for industrial, uh, for two main items I remember reading, it was tin, tin, and the rubber. What it was, a country in that part of the world known for production of rubber. So it's what made Singapore one of the greatest ports in the world. So after World War I, of course, steps were taken to do what? To modernize the, the, uh, Malayan defenses with the lapsing of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance. And that's where— or created the opportunity for the establishment or the buildup of a large naval base in Singapore. Now you see why we, the United States, still go to Singapore for refueling. I think there is a deal between both countries. Then comes World War II, the end of colonialism. So early December 1941, the Japanese landed in northern Malaya and southern Thailand, as you may know, on the Malaya Peninsula. That's where they end up. So what they end up doing, the Japanese that is, they quickly gained two things, because that's how part of what you gain if you want to control a country. You gain control over air and over naval superiority. So in the region, and Japanese at that time, we all know, yeah, they were sort of considered up when it comes down to the naval supremacy at that time. So by the end of, uh, uh, January in 1942 They had overrun the peninsula and were, were opposite of Singapore's land. This is why you have certain individuals who were born in Singapore but tra— uh, sort of tracing their ancestors to Japan. As a matter of fact, the wife of the new president, who is a Singaporean lawyer, but her ancestors are from Japan. So, and, and there's nothing wrong with that, by the way, guys. Even the president himself, his ancestors are from India. Yeah, you know, that, that's just part of— there's nothing wrong with that. So, so the Japanese crossed the Johor Strait, you know, on February 1942, and right— and the British command surrendered the island because Japanese took over, and the city one week. So one week later So that means Japan took over that one. So, and Singapore— here is the interesting thing you need to understand— Singapore remained under Japanese hand till September 1945, and you all know what happened in 1945. So, which is very important to understand because post-war British, uh, political plan for Malaya at that time— here's the interesting thing— excluded Singapore from the proposed Malayan Union. So they want to maintain— and that's like the saying, uh, uh, what's, what's the saying goes? Divide and conquer. Yeah, they wanted to divide it. So because they didn't want— they didn't want— they British didn't want the Malayan Union. So which, which later on formed under the Federation of Malaya. So, and mainly the reason being is because it was thought at that time that Singapore's predominantly Chinese population will be an ethnic obstacle to common citizenship. Now you see why Singapore had to embark on a foreign policy that is neutral by any stretch of imagination. Why? Because Singapore economic prosperity is with China. Singapore also security, to a degree, is with the United States. But, but here is the thing, for Singapore doesn't have to worry about the security aspect if it stayed neutral. But history could prove things wrong because I am using, uh, two examples: Cambodia and Belgium. Back then they remained neutral, but they were sucked in. This is what I'm saying. You have to understand it from the big picture, that is. And that was the, the reason why you have ethnic Chinese or Singaporean of ethnic, uh, uh, uh, of Chinese, I'm sorry, of Chinese ethnicity, their ancestors. So, so as a separate, now it becomes as a separate colony, in 1946 Singapore made constitutional progress, and this was despite some insurrection which was a communist by nature Malaya. So, and that's when they elected the legislative and moved forward into, uh, uh, sort of assumed the government in 1955. So, except two things, because this Legislative Assembly managed the affairs of the country, Singapore that is, or the new, uh, uh, uh, colony, or uh, yeah, the new colony developed on its own except for two main things, and those two main things are defense and foreign policy. Now you understand why you have a prime minister in Singapore that is taking care of the government's affairs. The president is neutral. President of Singapore doesn't get involved into this. So, and in 1959, the official and nominated elements were eliminated and Singapore became self-governing, although Britain— that's the thing— Britain still retained the control of the defense and foreign policy. I could just see the replica of what took place in Hong Kong all those years. So That's, that's, that's why you need to understand this dynamic. So, so now let me— I'm gonna just continue on this briefly here, then talk briefly about the presidency, because they just had a presidential elections, which is very important for you to understand and know about. Some might say it's just to understand how the system works in, in, in, in Singapore. Let me share some pictures with you guys. This is the new president. Okay, uh, all right, Singapore. Yeah, this is the, uh, uh, the president who was just elected. So, and he is, uh, as I said, the president basically of, of, uh, he's well known, by the way, in Indonesia. Very, very, very well known and well respected. He's an economist by trade. So, so the interesting aspects of it, because you're going to have to understand also the landscape, the political landscape. So why Singaporean elected this new president? You know, it's because the vote for this president, uh, came as, uh, some senior governments inside Singapore are under investigation by the country's anti-graft agency, and after the resignation of two other leaders over an affair. Now, I don't know the exact nature of the affair. Are we talking about corruption? Are we talking about sexual stuff? I don't know. The same thing that is going on right now with the Chinese Defense Minister Li Changfu is under investigation. The reason I didn't talk about it yet in a video, which I intend to do till I confirm the information, so, and because you can't just jump to conclusions. For this video that I released this morning about Traore, I had to check. Because I can't just assume so. So the president of Singapore, who is supposed to be— and here is the key— politically neutral, so is largely just a figurehead, a ceremonial, if you will. Oh yeah, but it has— even with that, the presidency in Singapore still have some certain powers that are considered as far as checks and balances, what we call checks and balances on the government. For example, such as the approval of anti-corruption investigations or even veto power. So, so the president, the current president, his name is Tharman Shanmugaratnam. My, my apologies if I mispronounced his last name. So he's of Indian origin. So, and, uh, as I said, he's well respected within the political circles in Indonesia, in Singapore, I'm sorry. So the question becomes is, you know, what can he do vis-à-vis what we are talking about, the rivalry between China and the United States? What can he do as far as influencing the foreign policy? He can't, he can't do much because the president is just a ceremonial So because that's how it's always been. And, uh, the term, by the way, for the president of Singapore is about 6 years. And this president, the new one, Tharman, is about 66— 66 of— 60— 66 years of old. I lost it, I lost it. 60 years old, that's what he is. So And of course, now that, uh, the, the former president— her name is Halima Yacoub— uh, lost the presidency, so he's going to succeed her. And by the way, Halima Yacoub was the first female president that started in 2013, if I recall. So here is one thing that I need you to understand about Singapore, at least based on what I've been reading and, and, and gathering and so forth. So even the president, this new president, was talking about it, you know. He is acknowledging, believe it or not, the long-term threats to Singapore's existence and the life of the future generation. Except he was smart enough and shrewd enough to use a term like climate change, which I found ridiculous because it is ridiculous. This is why it's my opinion, my perspective, and if I'm wrong, I bear the responsibility of it. I believe that his advisers advised him not to mention the United States-China rivalry. So, and because the presidency is neutral, so he wants to stay by saying, oh, because of climate change, which we all know It's nothing but a hoax, this climate change nonsense. The long, the long-term threats to Singapore, it has to do with if there is a military conflicts in the region that will be between the United States and China. That is what's at the heart of it, you know. And if Philippines is in, South Korea is in, Japan is in, Australia is in, you know what is going to be happening. So Singapore won't be spared just because of its location. Now, Singapore is not going to get involved, and it will be, uh, it will be, uh, not a wise thing for Singapore to even consider. This is why I'm saying, as of today, Singapore is maintaining its neutrality, and I hope it stays the same. This is why I started to see a few weeks ago certain articles targeting Malaysia and Indonesia because they don't want them to stay neutral. So they are fomenting the, the, uh, the, uh, what's the word I'm looking for? Doubt. They are fomenting doubt. Those authors of those articles coming from, uh, some think tanks or academia in Australia, including the, the Australian National University I saw some articles coming out of there. It's specifically to create or to mislead the Indonesians onto your country is going to be sucked in into— no, not if they maintain neutrality. The same thing for Singapore. That's how I see it. So when the president switch the terms and use climate change is to avoid attraction because he probably wouldn't want to be on the wrong side when it comes down to the United States. Because remember, we can influence. And remember, few years ago, Singapore was under the microscope of investigations by the FBI regarding some money laundering. As a matter of fact, even JP Morgan was involved. This is why you need to understand. Then the president, the new president, said, and I quote, I found the quote, should the need arise in the future to use the reserves to tackle such crisis and existential threats, we will weigh the matter carefully, end of quote. This is what Tharman said, the new president of Singapore. So the key word for you there, right there, is should the need arise in the future. As an analyst, the way I read it is he might even be anticipating that tensions will arise in that part of the world, in his neighborhood. And I've already argued this— right after Ukraine is going to be South China Sea. This is the hard reality. But for him, he can't do anything because his role is ceremonial, is the prime minister. You know, and this is the reason also. It's because, uh, I did find, uh, let me show you. I had, I had a link for, uh, one of the ceremonies that took place inside the, uh, Singapore as far as the, the, the president, the president event that, that just happened. So, okay, it's right here. Let me share it with you guys so you'll see. Sworn in. Yeah, open up. So So the idea that the president will be saying certain aspects of, oh, there is possibility that we might enter into some sort of a conflict, if you will. So, so let me share a screen with you guys so you'll see some, uh, pictures here, because I didn't want to post them separately. So I'm just going to share the screen with you so you'll see. Share. Here we go. Let me see if you guys— yeah, you guys can see that one there. So, uh, this is him going in, into swearing in. This is Halima, the former president, uh, They have a tradition, you go through the, the honor guard, I think something like that. They inspect the, the guard of honor. I'm sorry, that's what it is. Behind her is the prime minister, caretaker of the government, uh, Lee Hong, I think, or Lung if I pronounce it correctly. Uh, this is the new president, Tharman, uh, and this is where he's going to be presented with the sworn in. And this is the judges. By the way, this judge of Indian descent as well, doesn't matter. They are Singaporeans. They all are for Singapore. That's how it works. Yeah, because you can't— we can't be pointing. Yeah, you mention it, but that's about it. So, so, and this is the Prime Minister, uh, who this— who talks about the president, uh, term Thurman or Thurman. That, that's, that's what it is. All right, let me stop this one here and go back to my talking point here. So, so the idea, the reason why the president will have to be careful in his statement, even though the presidency is neutral, because the world as a whole is entering into some sort of, uh, uh, we all know it, it's an era of uncertainty. I feel comfortable saying this. But also concerns. There are concerns, especially on the security aspect, and especially in that part of the world. I'm sure countries in that region are seeing what's going on with Ukraine. They are seeing the massive devastation. They are seeing— and the Russians are very, very shrewd and smart. They are just sitting there and waiting and watching. You know, if you know, you hear the reports about, oh, the Ukrainian broke through It's nonsense. I'm here to tell you it's nothing but a lie. And by the way, the comedian President, uh, uh, Xi is going to be coming to Washington. What for? What is the comedians coming here to do? So, so, and, and the reason, the reason I'm saying all this, why the president of Singapore is, is talking in these terms, of course, to minimize the the, the, the, the, uh, what's the word I'm looking for, the concern of Singaporean people. Because it's not only them, it's everybody in that region. I am sure as we speak now, people in Taiwan are watching what's going on in Ukraine and saying to themselves, is this what we want? Because that's what it will end up being, let alone the economic aspects that is already shifting. You all heard, I don't know if you did or not, about the upcoming summit in none other than Cuba, about the G77 and China summit. One of my viewers here sent me then the comment on it. Yeah, and I intend to look into that. Yeah, G77, even the UN, some sort of, uh, sort of advocating for it. Well, UN, because UN is toothless anyway. But for something like this, they want to show that, yeah, we stand with the rest of the world and all that. No, it's because the shift on the global landscape is moving faster than we can even control, which we can't anyway. So what's going on in, in Singapore with the establishment of this new presidency, the president has to sort of calm the nerve of every Singaporean. Especially when it comes down to economic aspects, because if there will be any disruption to the economic, global economic flow of goods, it's going to start over there. This is why I said if we think that we are thinking of having a blockade in the Malacca Strait to prevent goods from reaching to China, we mistaken, because China would already took in countermeasures That is where the problem is. It's because, as this President Tharman said, in his opinion, the US-China relations, or rivalry, whatever you want to call it, you know, is the most troubled— this is according to his word— is the most troubled in decades. I've been seeing this coming for a while. And the rivalry was by design. These tensions were by design. But now we are finding out because the policy we embarked on is backfiring. Look at it just in the tech sector. Look at it with the sales of Huawei, uh, the Mate 60 phone. There is a big concern right here in the US about all that. So, and this is— and by the way, as I mentioned earlier, the, uh, President Thurman is married to Jane Itogi, who is a Singaporean lawyer of Japanese-Chinese heritage, you know, and they have about 4 kids, 1 daughter and 3 sons. This is what's important because you need to understand this, and to understand this one, you have to understand the makeup of the Singapore. You know, Chinese account for about 74.3% of the city-state of about 5.6 million people. So India, uh, sort of, uh, accounts for about 9%. 74% 9% for India, and, and Malay is about 13%. So all this is important to understand, and I'm going to send you guys the link, uh, for you to read up on this later on if you feel like it, because it's very important to understand how this new president now is going to manage this rivalry between uh, uh, between the US and China. Very, very important. So to me, uh, as it stands, and I'm summarizing this before I sign off here, uh, the way I look at it, uh, the way I look at it, guys— by the way, before I forget, here is the link to Havana, the summit that's going to be Uh, I'd be happy to do a live stream for you guys about this one, but for now, uh, just be on the lookout first of all for the, for the, uh, video tomorrow about Vietnam. So, uh, so to me, the idea of, uh, where are we here? Let me remove that one. Here we go. So to understand these dynamics Uh, uh, just to summarize all this, yeah, Singapore, it's better off, in my opinion, it's better off staying neutral and maintaining its neutrality. You know, as I said last time, even though ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, did confirm and want the neutrality, not all of them are on the same wavelength. I'm telling you this based on my own research, based on my contacts. This is why you're seeing some sort of weird things are in Indonesia, just in Indonesia. Yes, ask people in Indonesia, ask people in Malaysia, ask people in Philippines, and ask people in Vietnam. Even though for Vietnam, it really just by the time Biden went in, President Biden, or Uncle Joe, but Vietnam already signed many major deals with Boeing. So if Vietnam's thinking, how come they overlook— now Chinese can produce the C919 aircraft, which is, you know, far cheaper and, and brand new. Makes you just wonder, were Vietnam influenced? Or because we threaten sanctions against Vietnam if they want more forward with purchasing weapons from Russia. So, and this is why to understand that geopolitical landscape, Singapore is seeing this dynamics moving forward and asking themselves, we will be better off if we maintain our neutrality no matter what. They won't get influenced because as I said, their prosperity, economic. And if any society on Earth prosper, it doesn't prosper through conflict, it doesn't prosper through military, it doesn't come prosper through war, it prosper through economics. And Singapore is doing well because it maintains trade with China. I am certain and I am sure both Singapore and China will maintain that at any cost. It's how to manage it on the global stage. Like I always say, perception matters in international relations, context matters. So the fact that of course we still have access to the naval base there in Singapore. So now you ask yourself basic questions. What will happen in case of a conflict? Will Singapore be forced to allow its naval base there to be used by the Americans, which means it could become a launching pad? How will China perceive that? Because for Australia, it's over. Australia has already painted a target on its back. Philippines is about to do so soon. Japan already did. South Korea already did. New Zealand, maybe, maybe not. We shall see. And that's what's interesting, and that's what prompts me to go ahead and do this live stream for you guys, because I want you to be aware of what's going on. So, uh, just be on a lookout tomorrow, guys, for the video about Vietnam. And if you would like me to do livestream on Vietnam, I'll be happy to do it because again, this is a learning for me too. Yeah, thank you very much, Curious. Uh, yeah, you wrote, thank you for your knowledge, you have got me hooked on geopolitics. Never ever did I think that I would have— it would happen. Guess I finally have pulled my head out of the sand. You are rockstar. Thank you so much, I appreciate it. But again, because I'm a believer that geopolitics does impact us on a daily basis, whether we are aware of it or not. So, so, so thank— oh, I'll take a question from Boon. Yes, there's one question from Boon. Would you think that the countries that are shifting sides now, like Vietnam and Philippines, would be permanent change and not a temporary, just one to stay alive? Well, Boon, I have to push back against your question. Respectfully, of course, uh, first of all, I, I don't think that Philippines and Vietnam are 100% committed yet. Yes, the— especially Vietnam, I don't know, especially Philippines, I'm sorry, but I don't know about Vietnam because if they were committed 100%, that's going to have to change dynamics when it comes out to their economic ties to China. And it will be naive of China to keep the door open to Philippines and Vietnam knowing that they have shifted sides and side with the United States against China. So why would China even want to help them? This is why the first part I will say, uh, that are shifting sides, yeah, maybe they are thinking about it, but as of today they have not shifted completely, which will be a mistake in my opinion. It will be a strategic mistake if Philippines and Vietnam, uh, did that. That's what prompts me to do the video about Vietnam, and I think I am gonna do a live stream on it because you need the— you guys need to understand certain dynamics taking place behind the scenes for you to understand why they, Philippines and Vietnam in this case, embarked on the— on whatever foreign policy they did. Same thing for Singapore. So, so for now, I don't feel comfortable saying that they are shifting already to the US. Because they might realize it might not be a smart thing to do. Because if they are blind, if they couldn't see what's going on with Australia, then I don't know what they're smoking in both places. So, so I hope I answer your question. So I hope you guys find this very informative, and I look forward to seeing you next time. As always, please give it a like, by the way. Before I forget. I will really appreciate it. As always, remember, geopolitics impact your daily life in more ways than one. Till next time, guys. Bye-bye.