Singapore urges more dialogue on US-China trade dispute

Singapore is keen on promoting dialogue between the US and China as the trade dispute between the world's two largest economies is hurting the city state's economy, said a visiting Singapore minister in San Francisco.

"The US is the largest investor in Singapore, and we have a significant investment presence in China. Both countries are very important economic and trading partners," said Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations S. Iswaran at a discussion held by Asia Society on Thursday.

"I think competition does not necessarily mean conflict," said Iswaran, also minister for Communications and Information. "We need to resolve the differences, … we'd like to see a resolution (between the two countries)," he said on.

The dispute is hurting Singapore as it is heading for its weakest annual growth since 2009, when the economy shrunk by 0.6 percent during the global financial crisis, according to a recent CNN report.

Singapore has slashed its forecast for GDP growth in 2019 to between 0 percent and 1 percent. Previously, it predicted the economy to grow between 1.5 percent and 2.5 percent, according to the report.

The minister, who is visiting Silicon Valley to promote Singapore as a tech hub, stressed "strategic trust" -- a term that he said has recently been used in the trade talks.

"In other words, there's a fundamental belief that both parties are working not to bring the other down but to find a way forward that can be mutually acceptable and beneficial," Iswaran said.

He said only when people establish strategic trust will they be able to find solutions. "We are keen on promoting that type of dialogue," he said.

Singapore is working to diversify its industry and economic base while preparing for potential harm from the US-China trade dispute, according to the minister.

As to the US ban on communications giant Huawei Technologies Co, Iswaran said, "We are looking at 5G. Our emphasis is vendor diversity and ensuring security in our system."