Good morning

Ladies and Gentlemen

It gives me great pleasure to be here today to address the participants of the 2″ Summer Camp for senior military officers in the Asia-Pacific region.

The ongoing process of globalisation that has been propelled by the twin driving forces of liberal trade and technological advancement has shrunk the world to an unprecedented extent.

Globalisation has led to a greater degree of interconnectedness and interdependence between and among states.

The entwined fates of the countries in this region was highlighted by the financial crisis which hit many of us recently.

The crisis has now bottomed out and economic recovery is underway in most countries, but the devastating and far-reaching effects have driven home a key message — which is that the security and prosperity of the countries of the Asia-Pacific are inextricably linked.

It is imperative that states work more closely together to enhance their common security, as the security of individual states can now be affected more immediately and to a larger extent by any instability in the international environment.

During the past decade, bilateral co-operation between regional countries has grown in depth and scope.

There is also progress in the institutionalisation of multilateral security co-operation in this region.

However, we must not be complacent, as there are still many uncertainties in the region.

The economic, military and political relations among major powers continue to shift.

And political and social upheavals have created pockets of instability.

There is potential for more tensions arising from the unresolved disputes in the region, and problems of transnational crime have increasingly affected the security of regional countries.

Furthermore, new security challenges have arisen that are both multi-faceted and complex.

The same forces that have brought us closer together in the marketplace have brought with them security threats of a diverse nature ranging from environmental problems to terrorist acts.

Many countries are finding that they cannot resolve these security challenges on their own, as they transcend borders and cannot be dealt with except through co-operative efforts across borders.

How should regional defence establishments respond to these new strategic realities?

First and foremost, I think we must recognise that a narrow definition of security, that is, military security, is becoming less adequate in a closely inter-connected world.

Increasingly, we have to think of security in terms of both internal and external security as well as conventional and non-conventional threats. Let me elaborate.

As the security of states becomes increasingly intertwined, there is a need for the armed forces to review their roles.

Their traditional role is to serve as protectors of national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

This role will not change.

However, with greater security interdependence between states, it is inevitable that they will also have to see themselves as guardians of regional security.

These two roles are not incompatible.

In fact, by doing their part to maintain a peaceful and stable regional environment conducive to national economic development, they are also enhancing the security of their own nations at the same time.

This requires a different mindset.

In addition, the armed forces have to be ready not only for military threats, but also non-conventional security challenges that take such forms as cyber-attacks and terrorist acts.

The challenge is for the armed forces to develop new capabilities and to get together to formulate co-operative responses to these problems.

In my view, defence establishments play an integral role in shaping a co-operative security architecture which we need to ensure the continued peace and stability of this region.

Three measures are necessary.

First, defence establishments can contribute to the building of trust and confidence through defence diplomacy.

The breaking down of economic barriers requires a corresponding extension of security co-operation across national borders to deal with common security challenges.

But closer international co-operation is often easier said than done.

Without mutual trust and confidence, states cannot effectively work together to deal with common security challenges.

Hence, regional co-operation must be built upon the strong foundation of regional trust and confidence.

Defence establishments can help to strengthen this foundation through forging close defence ties and promoting military exchanges and exercises.

Defence dialogue and interactions will also serve as additional channels for countries to resolve differences and clarify misunderstandings.

This will help to prevent miscalculations, and entrench a culture of peaceful resolution of disputes in the region.

Second, regional defence establishments play an important part in strengthening the region’s capacity to deal collectively with transnational security challenges.

The capabilities of the armed forces are often needed to respond to non-conventional threats such as terrorism.

Regional military co-operation in the form of search and rescue and disaster relief exercises or anti-piracy joint patrols will enhance the inter-operability among regional armed forces and contribute to the region’s overall capability to deal with these contingencies for the benefit of everyone.

And third, regional defence establishments can play a key role in fostering a comprehensive, multi-dimensional response to the many multi-faceted security challenges that the region is faced with.

Many of the security challenges increasingly require not only international co-operation but also co-operation across the various security dimensions.

Defence establishments can contribute significantly to regional security by working closely with other government agencies, such as law enforcement agencies, and even humanitarian non-governmental organisations, to formulate integrated responses to a number of security threats, ranging from piracy to disaster relief.

Such co-operation can take place both at the national as well as at the regional level.

Summer School

This Summer Camp organised by the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies is an invaluable addition to the development of a process of informal dialogue, interaction and exchange among military officers at the multilateral level.

It will provide senior military officers in the Asia-Pacific region an opportunity to exchange views on new security and military trends and issues and to interact socially in an informal and relaxed environment.

It is my hope that you will make good use of this opportunity to forge new friendships and enhance mutual understanding, as well as to exchange ideas on how to bring regional defence co-operation to new heights and how to better contribute to a peaceful and secure Asia-Pacific in the 21st century.

Conclusion

On this note, I wish all the participants a fruitful time at this Summer Camp.

It is now my pleasure to declare open the 2nd Summer Camp for Senior Military Officers in the Asia Pacific.

Thank you.