SINGAPORE: The United States is committed to working with its allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific to ensure security and prosperity in the region, said its Charge d'Affaires Casey Mace on Thursday (May 29).

The region is “a leading priority for US foreign policy”, said Mr Mace, who is the current head of the US embassy in Singapore in the absence of an ambassador.

Speaking to the media at the US embassy in Napier Road, he emphasised that “enduring American commitment and leadership in the region will make America and our allies and partners safer, more secure and more prosperous”.

Mr Mace noted that the US delegation heading to the upcoming Shangri-La Dialogue – Asia’s annual premier defence summit – is a high-level one.

Led by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, the country's highest-ranking military officer, it is the largest and “most robust” delegation by the US in years, said Mr Mace.

“They often don't attend gatherings like this together, so I think that in itself is a real statement of the new administration's interest in massaging and engaging this region on security issues,” he said, adding that members of the US Senate and House, and other senior military officials will also be present.

Mr Mace added that the US has enhanced its military presence and strategy in this region, conducting over 40 annual military exercises with over 20 of its allies and partners.

When asked what the US expects in return from its partners for its commitment in this region, Mr Mace said that there is “nothing specific”.

“I think the conversation will be, ‘We share the same concerns. We share the same interests. What can we each do more to pursue our shared interests together and to address those shared concerns together?’,” he said.

“There's not any specific requests that I'm aware of, but I think, really, that's probably better answered by the Pentagon.”

Mr Mace said he does not think that the US tariff policy will affect its interactions with countries in the region, because “the region really sees the importance of the United States as a security partner” and vice versa, so conversations will focus on addressing security challenges.

US-SINGAPORE RELATIONSHIP

The US and Singapore have a “strong and dynamic partnership”, said Mr Mace, adding that the American delegation is looking forward to “an extensive set of bilateral meetings” with their Singaporean counterparts over the Shangri-La Dialogue weekend.

“I was heartened to hear Prime Minister (Lawrence) Wong say at his swearing-in ceremony that he also looked forward to deepening the partnership with the United States,” he said.

“I think this is a great first opportunity, just after the new government was sworn in, and with our new administration, to exchange views on the region and on ways that we can continue to strengthen that partnership together.”

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and his new Cabinet was sworn in during a ceremony at the Istana last week.

In his speech, Mr Wong said a key priority for his team will be to deepen Singapore’s relations with the major powers, especially the US and China, engaging them honestly in a principled manner while not getting caught in their rivalry.

“Where our interests align, we will work with them. Where they do not, we will stand firm and protect Singapore’s security and sovereignty,” he said.

Mr Mace also said on Thursday that President Donald Trump’s pick for US ambassador to Singapore is currently awaiting confirmation by the US Senate, and is expected to arrive here this year.

Mr Trump in March nominated entrepreneur Dr Anji Sinha as his nominee to be the country's ambassador to Singapore.

Not much is known about Dr Sinha, who has no presence on social media, but a short profile on the US Department of State website states that he is a "preeminent surgeon on the East Coast specialising in orthopedics and sports medicine". 

“There's several steps in this confirmation process and that process can be fast, it can be slow. So it's not clear when he'll be confirmed. But the president has nominated him, and the nomination is moving forward, and I expect that the ambassador will be here hopefully this year,” said Mr Mace.

He noted that the first wave of Mr Trump’s ambassador nominees moved through the Senate “relatively fast”, which is a good sign for the Singapore posting too.

While he has not spoken to Dr Sinha directly, Mr Mace said that “what I understand is he's very excited about what this region represents for the United States” and that he will be “very good at chasing these opportunities and representing the president”.

Dr Sinha's profile also touches on his "deep social and cultural ties to the Indo-Pacific region" and his "appreciation for Singapore’s role as a financial hub".

Mr Mace added that he does not know about the nature of Dr Sinha’s relationship to Mr Trump.

The US intends to work with Singapore on cybersecurity in both the defence and civilian domains, an issue that is increasingly important in this region, said Mr Mace.

“We've been very focused on expanding in areas that represent sort of the advanced aspects of warfighting, and the Singaporeans recently stood up their defence cyber intelligence service branch,” he said.

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) established the Digital and Intelligence Service in October 2022, and in March launched two new commands as part of its growth.

Mr Mace said that apart from discussions between both countries on how to strengthen defence innovation, there will also be talks on continuing the Singapore air force’s training on US soil.

Singapore is the second largest foreign military force training in the US, noted Mr Mace. According to the US Department of State, there are almost 1,000 SAF personnel training there at any one time. 

ON THE SOUTH CHINA SEA ISSUE

China’s “significant advances in military technology” is a concern for the US and its partners and allies, said Mr Mace.

“We are determined to maintain the main edge on military technology, and we're determined to do that with our partners and allies, so we watch very carefully advancements China is making,” he said.

He said some of China's advances have been a result of "stealing intellectual property from the United States”, which has formed some of the basis for the way the economic relationship between the two countries has evolved.

He added that the US has to be more vigilant in protecting its technology, as China is getting “more sophisticated at accessing, exploiting and stealing” them.

Mr Mace said the South China Sea situation will be a “dominant issue” at the upcoming Shangri-La Dialogue. It has been “a challenge for this region for many, many years”, and will likely feature in Mr Hegseth’s exchanges with his counterparts, he said.

“China's assertiveness in the South China Sea has only increased in recent years, their actions have been, as we put forward, unlawful, destabilising and dangerous,” said Mr Mace.

“And I think that this type of forum is exactly the type of forum where we need to have an exchange on that.”

Mr Mace said it is not surprising for the US that countries in the region are engaging with China, as China is after all situated in the region.

“I think that this region likes to try to see ways that they can develop their economies with China in ways that are constructive and healthy for their economies,” he said, adding that regional countries are also interested in maintaining a “stable and peaceful neighbourhood”.

Mr Mace also addressed a video posted on social media by the embassy last week, criticising China’s position on the South China Sea.

Conceptualised by the embassy itself, it was intended to draw attention to and present the Americans' view on the “destabilising actions” by China in the disputed waters, by making the issue “relatable to the local audience” with Singaporean analogies, said Mr Mace.

In its video, the US embassy made use of visual and verbal references to Housing Board (HDB) flats and Singapore's town councils to illustrate its point.

It likened China’s claim of nearly the entire South China Sea to an inconsiderate neighbour claiming common spaces in HDB corridors and lift landings as their own.

It also drew an analogy between the United Nations International Court of Justice and Singapore’s town councils, depicting China as the neighbour who would ignore the town council’s rulings.

“The video drew something like 10 times the number of viewers that other social media posts that we've put out on the South China Sea has, so we're pleased that it actually drew a lot of attention, because that was the intent we had,” said Mr Mace.

He added that the effort was “entirely consistent with what we’ve been doing around the region” and not just in Singapore. It was, however, “a bit more creative and achieved a broader reach”, noted Mr Mace.

Mr Mace added that there are no further issues with the Singapore government stemming from the video.

“They put out a statement reminding embassies that they don't want embassies to incite the public. We weren't looking to incite the public, and we reassured them of that,” he said.