[TMJC] Singapore and the Cold War (1965-1991)

1 SingaporeandtheColdWar (1965-1991) Part 1/3LearningOutcome:EvaluateSingapore’sresponsestothedevelopmentoftheColdWarinSoutheastAsiaSomequestionstoconsider: HowdidColdWarpoliticsaffectSingapore’sforeignpolicy? HowwelldidSingaporerespondtotheColdWardevelopmentsandchallenges? HowdidASEANshapeSingapore’s foreignpolicyduringtheColdWar?/ HowdidSingaporeshapeASEAN’spoliciesduringtheColdWar? Singapore’sresponsestoColdWardevelopmentsinSoutheastAsiaRelationswiththeUSA,theUSSRandChina(Part1)In1984,DeputyPrimeMinister, LeeHsienLoongsaidinaspeech“(Singapore’sforeignpolicy)dependsonthecompetinginterestsof severalbigpowersin a region,ratherthanonlinkingthenation’s fortunesto oneoverbearingpartnerThebigpowerscankeeponeanotherin checkandwillpreventanyoneofthemfromdoinatingtheentireregion,andsoallowsmallstatestosurviveintheintersticesbetweenthem.It isnotafoolproofmethod,astheequilibriumisa dynamicandpossiblyunstableone,andmaybeupsetif onepowerchangescourseandwithdraws.NorcanasmallstatemanipulatethebigpowerswithimpunityThemostit canhopetodoistoinfluencetheirpoliciesintheirfavour.”● TheUSASingapore’s relationshipwiththeUSAhasbeenjudgedthemostimportantamongthe majorpowers.TheUSAhaslongbeenregardedas a benignpresencein theAsia-Pacificregionasnotonlyareitsinterestsmostin accordwiththoseofSingaporebutit is alsothestatemostcapableofprotectingthembecauseof its globalreach.Therelationshiphasbeensubjectto recurrentdifferences,especiallyoverpoliticalvaluessincetheendoftheColdWar, butthosedifferenceshavenotseriouslydisturbedbilateralties,whichhavecometobevaluedin WashingtonbecauseoftheirstrategicutilitybearingonAmericaninterestsin theGulfaswellasin SoutheastAsia.Thosetiesarevaluedallthemorein Singaporebut havebeencontinuouslyjoinedwitha concernthatAmerica’s regionalsecurityrolecouldbeprogressivelydiminishedbecauseofanationalpreoccupationwithdomesticpriorities.

2 - EarlytensionswiththeUSA(pre-independence)1. USunderlyingrolein indirectlycontributingto thepoliticalsituationthatbirthedKonfrontasi DuringKonfrontasiandthelimitedtenureofPresidentKennedyandintothatofPresidentJohnson,SingaporehadreasontolackconfidenceintheregionalpolicyoftheUSA. WashingtonhadplayedadecisiveroleinpersuadingtheNetherlandstorelinquishcontrolof thewesternhalfof theislandof NewGuineatoIndonesia.Thegovernmentin theHaguehadrefusedtotransferthatperipheralpart of its East Indiesto Indonesiaon internationalacknowledgementofitsindependenceinDecember1949. The unresolveddisputehad not only souredthe post-colonialrelationshipbuthadalsobecomea sourceofnationalistferment,whichthe latePresidentSukarnohadexploitedto his personalpoliticaladvantage. In early1964,USAttorneyGeneral,RobertKennedy, wassentbyPresidentJohnsonon a diplomaticmissionto SoutheastAsiain anattemptto resolvetheproblemof Konfrontasiwhichseemedto beservingtheinterestsof Indonesia’s CommunistPartyanditsexternalpatrons. ThetenorofthemissiongavetheimpressionofanactofappeasementonAmerica’sbehalfattheexpenseofMalaysiaofwhichSingaporewasthena constituentp