I believe China appreciates this. At the recent Belt and Road Forum in Beijing， Chinese leaders stated clearly that the BRI would be “open， green and clean”. China’s Finance Minister set out debt sustainability require－ ments for Belt and Road projects， which the IMF has welcomed. In the nature of such reassurances， the test will be how these statements of intent are implemented in practice， but these are steps in the right direction.
Meanwhile， other initiatives have been proposed for regional cooperation. For example， several countries have proposed various
concepts of “Indo－Pacific cooperation”. These ideas are less fully elaborated or implemented than the BRI， but Singapore’s attitude towards them is consistent. We support regional cooperation initiatives which are open and inclusive platforms for countries to cooperate constructively， and deepen regional integration. These initiatives should strengthen existing coopera－ tion arrangements centred on ASEAN. They should not undermine them， create rival blocs， deepen fault lines or force countries to take sides. They should help bring countries together， rather than split them apart.
Conclusion
US－China relations will define the tenor of international relations for years to come. It is natural that the two powers will vie for power and influence， but competition should not inevitably lead to conflict. We hope the US and China find a constructive way forward， competing certainly， but at the same time cooperating on major issues of mutual interest.
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