Singapore defense minister calls on China to take the lead in reducing regional tensions

By KEN MORITSUGU
Associated Press

BEIJING (AP) — Singapore’s defense minister has urged China as a dominant power in Asia to take the lead in reducing tensions in the region, warning that a military conflict like the one in Ukraine or the Israel-Hamas war would be devastating for the continent and its future. Ng Eng Hen spoke on Tuesday, the last day of an annual defense conference held by China. He stressed the importance of military-to-military communication to manage crises, expressing hope that the United States and China would resume the use of their military hotline. He said that a conflict in Asia would be devastating and that “what has happened in Europe and the Middle East must never occur here.”