Asia Future Summit 2023 in Singapore saw 300 delegates listening to over 20 speakers discussing the role Asia can play in the world and what lies ahead in a fast-changing geopolitical and economic landscape.
WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news
SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar
LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline
WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news
SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar
LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 [MUSIC]
00:10 >> The US-China relation.
00:15 >> Taiwan.
00:16 >> Taiwan.
00:17 >> Climate change.
00:17 >> AI.
00:18 >> We have a phrase called POFMA.
00:20 It has become a verb.
00:22 I can POFMA you.
00:23 >> Don't say we cannot do anything.
00:25 You can help the formula.
00:26 Just become the direction.
00:28 And it doesn't have to be tomorrow.
00:31 >> As diplomats, you're supposed to say something when there's nothing to say.
00:34 >> [LAUGH]
00:37 [MUSIC]
00:42 >> Have you ever asked yourselves, what would Lee Kuan Yew do?
00:45 What would he have said?
00:46 And does that provide some sort of guidance for you as well?
00:51 >> He would share his views, but
00:56 he would always say, you decide.
00:59 Because you are in the driving seat now.
01:02 You have to make the decisions.
01:04 >> In my several occasions in talking to him,
01:07 I feel that he's very honest and straightforward.
01:10 >> In Chinese, we should say, [FOREIGN]
01:16 >> He was asked by some journalists
01:21 once what he thought of himself as this world statesman.
01:26 And he said, statesman, I'm not a statesman.
01:30 I just work hard.
01:32 I'm consistent and I'm persistent.
01:35 I want to get things done.
01:37 That is all.
01:38 Then he added, and anyone who thinks he's a statesman should see a psychiatrist.
01:45 >> [LAUGH]
01:53 >> Wang Qishan took us out to
01:55 the courtyard and looked at us and said to me, he said,
02:00 [FOREIGN]
02:08 >> The world need to realize that we are at a very,
02:12 very dangerous moment.
02:16 >> I'm very pessimistic because I think leaders with thin skin and
02:20 men's in the one tee, they get painted into corners where they have to act.
02:25 It's very dangerous.
02:28 >> I feel very, very strongly that all of our diplomatic efforts,
02:34 whether they're from the United States, from People's Republic of China,
02:41 and from other countries including Singapore and Australia,
02:46 should be directed towards keeping the temperature of relations
02:51 between mainland China and the United States as low as possible.
02:56 [MUSIC]
03:05 >> How do you see generative AI?
03:08 Do you think it's a good thing for human beings, for our society?
03:13 >> You can't put the genie back into the bottle.
03:15 When they, I think many of us have watched the movie Oppenheimer.
03:20 It began with Prometheus, who stole fire and
03:26 was punished because fire can do a lot of good,
03:31 but can also kill and destroy humanity.
03:35 AI is the same, we can't un-invent fire.
03:38 It's out, we've got to live with it, our moral sense has got to catch up with it.
03:44 But you'll be abused.
03:45 Assume that you'll be abused, but it's also capable of doing great good.
03:49 [MUSIC]
03:55 >> Number one, those who can collaborate with environment will flourish.
04:00 >> We study nuclear carefully, we open the page, we look at it,
04:06 we look at it, we look at it, we keep looking at it.
04:09 And when nuclear is safe enough, we will consider it seriously.
04:17 But we are seriously alternative energy disadvantaged.
04:22 >> How can a small country like Singapore play its part
04:28 when actually it cannot make that much of an impact by itself?
04:33 >> We are an insignificant part of global emissions, like 0.5% or less.
04:40 So even if we all stop breathing, it won't save the world.
04:43 >> [LAUGH]
04:46 >> That's the reality.
04:48 And yet, we all have to do our part.
04:50 [MUSIC]
04:59 >> Will China use force to take over Taiwan?
05:01 Well, it depends on what Taiwan does.
05:08 >> For those of you who are concerned about a situation, not just Asia, but
05:14 also the world, to encourage Taiwan and mainland China to meet, to have a dialogue,
05:20 and to try to find out a solution.
05:23 >> We are very happy on two occasions to play host in Singapore.
05:26 If the circumstances just dictate further meetings in future,
05:36 we'll be very happy to be the party sitting there, providing the room and pouring the tea.
05:40 >> [LAUGH]
05:42 [MUSIC]
05:52 (upbeat music)
05:54 [MUSIC]