Sec. Antony Blinken & Singapore Ambassador Discuss Security & Prosperity In The Indo-Pacific
On Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed advancing security & prosperity in the Indo-Pacific with Singapore Ambassador-at-Large Chan Heng Chee.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Well, good afternoon, everyone.
00:09Maybe we're coming up on good evening.
00:11We appreciate everyone's patience and we're excited to be here.
00:18It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all here today.
00:21I've had the pleasure for the last three and a half years to be the United States Ambassador
00:26to the Republic of Singapore.
00:28Now we're living in a very complicated time in history.
00:32Terrorist acts, brutal war, and senseless humanitarian suffering roil our every day.
00:40Our resolve is being tested like never before, from Ukraine to the Middle East to the South
00:46China Sea.
00:48Tough decisions and complex situations, yet few understand this better than our special
00:56guest, and few are more qualified to help tackle these enormous diplomatic challenges.
01:04We are truly honored to be joined by the Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, as his first visit
01:11to Singapore in his capacity as America's 71st Secretary of State.
01:17His presence here today is a strong signal of the important and enduring partnership
01:22between our two countries, a partnership since Singapore's independence 59 years ago
01:29next week.
01:32Thank you, Tony, for being here.
01:34We're also grateful to our host, the Asian Civilization Museum, and to our organizing
01:39partner, the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
01:43It's now my pleasure to welcome Professor Danny Kuo, who has the honor of introducing
01:50our distinguished guests.
02:03Ambassadors, Excellencies, distinguished guests, colleagues, and friends, good evening.
02:08My name is Danny Kuo, and I'm a Lee Ka Shing Professor in Economics and Dean at the Lee
02:12Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
02:15My great pleasure this afternoon to welcome you all to this event, jointly organized by
02:21the U.S. Embassy here in Singapore and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the
02:26National University of Singapore.
02:30We are delighted and honored that in a few minutes we will be getting to hear Secretary
02:34Blinken in conversation with Ambassador Chan Heng Chee.
02:40To begin the proceedings, I will invite Ambassador Chan up on stage to introduce and then in
02:48a minute welcome Secretary Blinken.
02:51Ambassador Chan is, of course, well known to all of us here.
02:55She served as Singapore's Ambassador to the United States for 16 years from 1996 on.
03:03Ambassador Chan is Ambassador-at-Large at Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
03:07Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities at the Singapore University
03:13of Technology and Design.
03:16Please join me in welcoming Ambassador Chan to the stage.
03:33Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, Ambassador Kaplan has very capably introduced
03:42the subject and so it is now my honour and privilege this afternoon to introduce the
03:4971st Secretary of State of the United States of America, Antony Blinken.
03:57Secretary Blinken, as you know, has had a long and distinguished record of service in
04:03U.S. administrations.
04:06He served as the National Security Advisor to Vice President Biden during the Obama first
04:13administration, I was there, and later as Deputy National Security Advisor and Deputy
04:20Secretary of State in the Obama second administration.
04:27He is in Singapore for a bilateral visit.
04:30He held the Critical and Emerging Technologies Dialogue with Singapore officials and you
04:40would have just heard or read that Singapore and the United States signed a peaceful nuclear
04:47cooperation agreement to explore potential civilian uses of nuclear technologies.
04:55Certainly, I agree he cannot have a better or more qualified person to answer the questions
05:03on top of our minds and to talk of U.S. foreign policy.
05:08We will have a conversation for about 20 minutes or so, 25 minutes, and we will take a question
05:16from the floor.
05:18So, I now invite Secretary Blinken to take his seat for our conversation.
05:36Secretary Blinken, you have just visited Laos to attend the ASEAN ministerial meetings.
05:44That's great.
05:46You know, in recent times, the Biden administration seems to have worked a lot on creating
05:54mini-laterals to meet your security objectives.
05:58Quad, AUKUS, then you've expanded and deepened, renewed your relationship, the security
06:07relationship with Japan and Korea.
06:10And that is the Australia, Japan, Philippines, and U.S. grouping, which was formed for maritime
06:19cooperative activity.
06:23What is the place of multilaterals in U.S. strategic thinking?
06:28Well, first, it's wonderful to be with you, to see you again here.
06:32It's wonderful for me to be back in Singapore.
06:35I was reflecting and thinking about it, and the first time I was here was actually 44
06:39years ago, as a very young man, of course.
06:43And I've had opportunities, of course, to be back since, but this is my first visit
06:48in this job.
06:50And I'm gratified to be here because of the strength of our partnership and the value
06:55that we attach to it.
06:57And I want to come to your question, because I think it's right at the heart of everything
07:02we're doing.
07:03When President Biden took office, the first thing that he instructed me to do and all
07:08of us to do was to renew, reinvigorate, and in some cases reimagine our alliances and
07:15partnerships, and that has been a critical part of our efforts from day one, including
07:22here in the Asia Pacific, the Indo-Pacific, and you mentioned some of them.
07:26And what we've tried to do is not only to reinvigorate existing alliances and partnerships,
07:33but also to create new arrangements of countries that are really fit for purpose, that are
07:38focused on particular issues.
07:40But the multilateral system is also critical to what we're doing, including, of course,
07:46at the United Nations, and we see that as an integral part of our engagement around
07:51the world, because there are two things that I think motivate us profoundly.
07:57One is that there is a premium, I think, on American engagement, American leadership.
08:03Certainly it's one that makes sense for us, but I also believe it makes sense for countries
08:06around the world.
08:07If we're not engaged, if we're not leading, then probably someone else is, and maybe not
08:12in a way that advances the interests and values that we have and that we share with Singapore.
08:17Maybe just as bad, no one is, and then you're going to have a vacuum that's filled by bad
08:20things before it's likely filled by good things.
08:23But the flip side of that coin is that I think there's a greater premium now than there's
08:28been at any time in the 30 or so years that I've been doing this on cooperation, on collaboration,
08:35on bringing common approaches to what are shared challenges.
08:39The multilateral system is one key vehicle for doing that, and I think you've seen our
08:43re-engagement across that system, even as we've also been reinvigorating alliances and
08:48partnerships.
08:49Now, Secretary, you have given us a vision, the security vision, the alliance, the partnership
08:58vision of the Biden administration for the Indo-Pacific.
09:05What is the place of trade in that vision?
09:09Trade is critical.
09:10It links countries, it links people, it links economies.
09:15And I think we have to, though, think about two things.
09:19One is we want to be focused on what's actually happening in this 21st century, including
09:24when it comes to trade.
09:26So one of the focuses that we brought to this is on the digital economy, and through things
09:32like the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, that's one of the things that we're trying
09:36to drive forward, understandings on that.
09:39Second, there are things that are so necessary and that have become so clear to us, especially
09:44with the experience of COVID, that are absolutely essential if trade is going to flourish and
09:49go forward.
09:50For example, resilient supply chains.
09:52We know what happens when we don't have them.
09:54We know the impact that that has on trade.
09:56So we've worked very hard to strengthen supply chains, to rethink them, to build resilience,
10:02to build early warning into them with many other countries.
10:04So if there's a challenge to them, we're doing something about it.
10:08But there's something else that's important to keep an eye on.
10:11Trade is vital.
10:13So is investment.
10:15Right now, the United States is overwhelmingly the leading provider of foreign direct investment
10:19in Singapore by, I think, five times the next nearest country.
10:24At the same time, we're also the biggest provider of foreign direct investment across all of
10:29the ASEAN countries.
10:30The United States also happens to be the biggest recipient of foreign direct investment.
10:34Why is that important?
10:36Because these investments don't happen unless there's a certain amount of trust, and also
10:42unless there's a certain amount of optimism about the future.
10:46I think we see in the magnitude of foreign direct investment a tremendous amount of trust
10:51between the United States, Singapore, countries in ASEAN, a tremendous amount of trust in
10:57the United States and confidence that this is where the future is.
11:01So as much as I would look at trade, I would also look at foreign direct investment.
11:05You're right there.
11:07But I would like to explain to you, Secretary, that in the thinking of Southeast Asians and
11:13Asians, trade is extremely important.
11:17Lee Kuan Yew, in the 1980s, gave a congressional joint session, joint address, and he spoke
11:26about democracy and trade going hand in hand.
11:30You cannot promote democracy if you don't promote trade.
11:34So I get very discouraged when I hear Americans say, we can't do trade, you know?
11:39Well, of course, I agree with his insight.
11:43I think that's very much true, remains true.
11:47We remain a great trading nation, as is Singapore.
11:52I think, though, what we have to also be focused on is making sure that trade works for our
11:59working people, that it works for our companies, that it works for our societies.
12:05And we also have to make sure that we are adequately dealing with sometimes second and
12:11third order consequences that come with it.
12:14I'll give you an example.
12:16Right now, we have a challenge when it comes to China with overcapacity, that is producing
12:23in certain sectors and certain industries well beyond not only the needs of China, but
12:29of world demand, and doing it in a way with subsidies and other forms of support that
12:35not only create unfair advantages, but create an environment in which, when that kind of
12:41trade goes forward, it has the potential to flood and, as a result, ruin entire communities,
12:49companies, workers who are on the receiving end of something that's not fair or not balanced.
12:55We have to also be able to deal with those kinds of challenges to the trading system.
12:59Certainly, but we hope that the way countries respond would not be through protectionist
13:09measures, you know, more protectionist measures.
13:12Now, let me go back to the earlier discussion on the vision of the latest framework that
13:20the United States has created for security.
13:24Now, strategic deterrence under US leadership is something I think I understand why you
13:31are doing this.
13:33Like-minded countries come together so that they can deal with a fast-emerging challenge,
13:40adversary, or a threat.
13:44But is the United States also starting to build confidence-building mechanisms with
13:53a potential, your potential adversary?
13:56Absolutely, and that's critical.
13:58It's vital.
14:00And let's take, again, the relationship with China.
14:04For us, it's both arguably the most complicated and most consequential in the world.
14:09Actually, many countries can say the same thing.
14:13There's an obligation that we have, and that is to make sure that we're managing that relationship
14:17responsibly.
14:18We're in a competition, and by the way, there's nothing wrong with competition.
14:23In fact, in our system, competition's a good thing as long as it's fair, as long as it's
14:28on a level playing field.
14:29It's a good thing.
14:30It hopefully brings out the best in everyone.
14:32We want to make sure that that competition doesn't veer into conflict, which is profoundly
14:36not in our interest or anyone else's, more in China's.
14:40And that starts with communicating.
14:42It starts with being able to speak clearly, directly, and frequently to each other.
14:49Since last June, I think I've seen my Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, the foreign minister,
14:53six times.
14:54I was just with him in Laos at the ASEAN meetings.
14:58We speak on the phone.
14:59Many others in our government are engaged with their counterparts in China, and that's
15:04hugely important, precisely for that reason.
15:07Second, there are aspects of this that are especially important.
15:10For example, we resume military-to-military contacts at all levels.
15:14That's so vital to making sure there are not misunderstandings that, again, could lead
15:18inadvertently to conflict.
15:20And we're also looking to find areas where we can cooperate, when it's in the interest
15:24of our people, when it's in the interest of China, when it's in the interest of so many
15:28others.
15:29We've been doing that as well.
15:30For example, we have a plague in the United States of synthetic opioids, fentanyl.
15:35The number one killer of Americans between the ages of 18 and 45 is fentanyl.
15:40It's not heart attacks.
15:41It's not car accidents.
15:42It's not cancer.
15:43It's not guns.
15:44It's fentanyl.
15:45And it's a global issue.
15:46And we have to deal with, for example, the question of the ingredients that go into making
15:50it, the chemical precursors that are often manufactured in China, may come to Mexico,
15:55get synthesized into fentanyl.
15:56Well, President Biden and President Xi reached an important agreement when they met in San
16:00Francisco at the end of last year, about working together on this, and China taking
16:04important steps, some of which is taken to try to curb the flow of these ingredients,
16:09these precursors.
16:11So we very much believe in the importance of engagement.
16:16And finally, on the many places where we, yes, have real differences, it's important
16:21to talk about them.
16:22Make sure at least we understand each other, that we know where each other is coming from,
16:26even if we disagree.
16:28You know, Secretary, I'm glad you said that.
16:31There was a collective sigh of relief in the region when the Biden-Xi summit took place
16:37in San Francisco.
16:39And my American friends tell me that stability has been breached.
16:44I think the Chinese side also says, you know, this is good, we've reached stability.
16:50Sometimes I wonder whether you are each saying it to convince yourselves.
16:55But, yes, and I think that's a good way to go forward, and I like what you say about
17:04competition without conflict.
17:06But many of us believe it is still a very fragile stability, yeah.
17:12So let me go further on this, because in ASEAN, many of the countries here have done well.
17:22You know, we are one of the fastest-growing regions in the world, as seen by IMF and World Bank.
17:32We build, ASEAN countries are building a huge middle class.
17:37You have it in Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and, of course, Singapore.
17:45But this middle class is built on globalization.
17:49And also because we are part of a production process, you know, producing goods to be sent
17:55to the United States and other markets, mainly electronic goods.
18:00So we are very worried about the small yard, high fence policy, because we see it becoming
18:08a bigger yard and higher fences.
18:13Where will it stop?
18:18It's very important to understand what this is and what this isn't, because we want to
18:24make sure that even as we're taking what we believe are necessary measures to protect
18:29our security, we're not doing it in a way that undermines, inhibits trade that we were
18:37just discussing a few minutes ago is so vital, investment and progress and opportunity for
18:44people around the world.
18:46So when it comes to the small yard, high fence, look, it makes sense, and I've said this directly
18:53to our Chinese counterparts, that it makes sense for us to try to make sure that when
18:59it comes to the most sophisticated technology that is being used because there's fusion
19:07between the military and the civilian space in China, that is being used and goes directly
19:12to military applications, including, unfortunately, a very rapid and very opaque buildup of their
19:18nuclear program.
19:20How is it in our interest to provide that?
19:22No country would do that.
19:24At the same time, we really are focused on making sure that this is a small yard and
19:28a high fence, and that means being very attentive to what's controlled and what isn't.
19:35It means listening to the private sector.
19:38It means listening to other countries and working with them.
19:43And I'll give you another example.
19:45We have controls, listings of one kind or another against about 1,300 companies in China.
19:55There are 43 million registered companies in China.
19:58It's an infinitesimally small number with regard to the Chinese economy.
20:03But we have a responsibility to protect our security, and other countries feel the same
20:09way.
20:10But if you look at the overall numbers, our trade with China reached record levels just
20:16a couple of years ago.
20:19Investments have been down, but there are a lot of reasons for that that have nothing
20:22to do with any controls that we impose.
20:26Finally, what's so important here is that when we do these things, we do them in collaboration
20:32with, in coordination with other countries who may have similar concerns.
20:37And that's what we're focused on doing.
20:38Yes.
20:39No, we understand national security concerns, Secretary, but sometimes given the contests
20:48between two parties, you know, in two sides in the United States, the definition of national
20:57security becomes looser and looser.
21:00I think that's what we're worried about.
21:03And certainly we know that, and it's something that I'm focused on.
21:08The question, for example, of deciding and defining what constitutes a dual-use item,
21:13and how challenging is the potential other use, that's something, yes, we have to focus
21:18on very seriously, and again, do it in a way that, as we would say, doesn't throw the baby
21:23out with the bathwater.
21:24Yeah.
21:25Now, I'd like to switch the discussion to the United States.
21:31You know, there's a lot of noise coming out of the presidential campaign.
21:35Really?
21:36I hadn't heard any of it.
21:38Yes.
21:39Can you give us an idea of where the United States as a country, a great power, a superpower
21:47stands in terms of engagement with the world, with trade, a defense ally, and as a global
21:55policeman?
21:58So we have these periodic things called elections, and I think it's normal that before every
22:04election, given the importance of this moment in history that our country has around the
22:11world, that of course people ask questions.
22:14They wonder what's going to happen in any given election, what direction does the country
22:18take, and maybe there are lesser or higher degrees of that on any given election, but
22:22it always happens before every election, and I understand that.
22:27I think that there are a number of constants that don't fundamentally change, irrespective
22:33of who wins a particular election.
22:36One is that if you look at most of the polling, if you listen to our fellow citizens, they
22:43actually want the United States to be engaged in the world.
22:46They understand that in order to actually get things done at home, we also have to be
22:51working with others around the world, and that remains by far the majority opinion.
22:56They strongly prefer that the United States not engage the world alone.
23:02They know the benefits in partnerships, in alliances, and again, that's a constant, and
23:09I think that remains no matter what.
23:11The flip side is equally important.
23:13What I'm hearing is, I have the great honor of going around the world on behalf of the
23:16United States, is that most countries actually want us engaged.
23:20They want our leadership, they want our partnership, and that's a very positive signal that resonates
23:27back in the United States.
23:30Look, I do understand the focus on this, but I'm also very confident that at the end of
23:38the day, most Americans see the benefits of our engagement around the world.
23:42Well, you will understand that amongst your friends and countries around the world, they
23:50are concerned whether there'll be a continuity of policy between administrations, whether
23:57it is climate change, technology, policy, or whatever.
24:03Some countries worry when they are negotiating deals with the United States.
24:08Will that stand if it is another administration?
24:14It's the nature of our system, and I think people have seen that, know that over many
24:18years.
24:19We have so many actors in our system that are important, and of course, the federal
24:23government stands at the top, but our states play incredibly important roles.
24:29Our cities play incredibly important roles.
24:31There are connections that have grown stronger and stronger over the years between our states
24:37and other countries, between cities in different places, that continue to drive things forward,
24:43sometimes irrespective of what the national policy may be.
24:47Climate's a great example of that.
24:50And look, if you're sitting in the United States and you care, as so many Americans
24:54do, for example, about climate change, and Singapore and the United States are two countries
24:57that have been a leading edge in doing something about it.
25:01We know, for our part, that even if we somehow did everything right at home, in terms of
25:06emissions and in terms of global warming, we're 15% of global emissions.
25:11That means that we somehow have to find a way to encourage the other 85% of emissions
25:16to be dealt with, and that means working with other countries.
25:20You played with a rock band in your younger days.
25:24Cool.
25:25You know?
25:26And recently in Beijing, you were going to music shops with Ambassador Nick Burns.
25:33That's right.
25:34And you bought Taylor Swift CDs and Douwei.
25:38I don't know if anyone's heard of Taylor Swift, but I gather she might have come to Singapore
25:43recently.
25:45And you bought Douwei, the Chinese rocker.
25:47That's right.
25:48Who's terrific.
25:49I haven't heard of him until you, I say, if Secretary Blinken buys it, I'll see it.
25:53Well, it was a recommendation from the very nice gentleman who owned the record shop,
25:59but he's terrific.
26:00He's terrific, great music, good beat, and the lyrics are very good.
26:04Do you still play in a band?
26:07You know, occasionally I've gotten up and done some kind of charity event, but what
26:13I've found is if I ever have a room and there's an event that's running overtime and we need
26:18to clear the room, the best thing for me to do is get up and play the guitar.
26:23Clears the room immediately.
26:25Electric guitar, someone told me.
26:29An opera singer told me this, actually, just two days ago.
26:33Well, it's been a lifelong passion and something that only enhances your own appreciation for
26:39music.
26:40You know, everyone has a different thread in their life.
26:42But for me, and as I know for so many others, it has been music, and it's a great source
26:46of joy, of comfort.
26:48Sometimes we have more difficult days than others in this business, and being able to
26:53have music to go back to, it's a wonderful thing.
26:57Thank you very much, Secretary Blinken.
26:59I'm going to allow some questions.
27:03Question from the floor, left side, please.
27:06Good evening, everyone.
27:12I'm Yvonne, and I'm a student at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, and I'm doing
27:17a Master's in Public Policy.
27:19So Secretary Blinken, adding on to Ambassador Chan's passion for music, my question is,
27:28you have shared how music plays a profound role in your life and its power to connect
27:32people across cultures.
27:35We can see how Korea effectively used music as a soft power, a form of soft power.
27:43So how do you see your personal passion for music influencing your approach to diplomacy
27:48and international relations, especially in fostering cross-cultural understanding and
27:53cooperation?
27:54Play us a piece, thank you.
27:57Well, you're right.
27:58It's a great connector.
27:59I think, in general, the arts, culture, one of the greatest connectors we have.
28:06And music, I've seen it do it this powerfully, because it transcends borders.
28:11It transcends language.
28:12It transcends difference in politics.
28:16And especially at a time when the world is so charged in so many ways, having those connectors,
28:23I think, is more important than ever.
28:24And I've really seen it break down barriers in ways that have a profound impact.
28:31I see it in my own engagements with some of my counterparts.
28:34Sometimes one of the things that connects us is music.
28:38But you mentioned as well the soft power aspect of this, and K-pop is a great example of that.
28:44In fact, I guess this is a couple of years ago.
28:47I was on one of our late-night television shows, something I hadn't really done before,
28:52shows like, it used to be David Letterman, The Tonight Show, all of these shows.
28:58And I was on one of the programs.
29:00And as we arrived at the studio, there was a huge crowd outside.
29:05And I thought, oh, that's nice, this crowd.
29:09And then I realized they had no interest in me.
29:10There was a Korean K-pop band that was also on the show that night.
29:13It's a good reminder of things.
29:16But we have programs at the State Department that I think are among the best things we
29:21do.
29:22We have an entire department focused on educational and cultural affairs.
29:27And they're the ones who do the exchange programs, like all of the fellowships that many people
29:33have benefited from.
29:35But they also do exchanges with artists, with musicians, with actors, with painters.
29:43And I've seen this have as much and maybe even sometimes a greater impact than some
29:47of the things we do on a policy level.
29:48So I'm a great believer in it.
29:50And I think it's profoundly to our benefit.
29:54Secretary, can we have one more question?
29:56Of course.
29:57From the right side.
29:58Yes, the hand up.
30:03Thank you, Ambassador Nicholas.
30:05I am Director for Security and Global Affairs at the Singapore Institute of International
30:09Affairs, a think tank here.
30:12We talked a little bit about continuity of political leadership in the U.S.
30:16I want to ask you to crystal ball gaze into the potential outcome in November.
30:21But we've also talked about the two major conflicts that are going on in Europe and
30:25the Middle East.
30:27What do you think would be the likely progression of those conflicts and the U.S. impact in
30:32those conflicts as a result of the elections, whichever way it might go?
30:38Well, look, one of the benefits of my job is that I don't do politics.
30:44I just focus on policy and try my best to help develop and then advance the best policies
30:50we can to deal with the many challenges that we're facing.
30:54And certainly predicting an election in our country is something I wouldn't hazard to
30:58do.
31:00Our elections have been very, very close.
31:01And I expect this next election is likely to be the same, just looking at it as an American
31:06citizen.
31:07But what I'm focused on and what President Biden's focused on really are the next six
31:13months between now and when the next president takes office in making sure that we're doing
31:18everything we can on all of these fronts to try to advance peace, to try to advance security,
31:24to try to advance not only our own interests, but the interests of so many of our friends
31:28and partners.
31:29I'll say very briefly, when it comes to the ongoing aggression by Russia against Ukraine,
31:35our support for Ukraine remains resolute.
31:37You've seen that in the very strong, albeit delayed, bipartisan support for the supplemental
31:44budget that we put forward for Ukraine.
31:47We see it in everything that came out of the recent NATO summit.
31:49We see it in the agreements that now more than 20 countries have signed to support Ukraine
31:54over the long term in making sure that it has a strong defense and deterrent capability.
31:59And ultimately, whatever happens over the next six months, I believe strongly that Ukraine
32:05will be a successful country.
32:08And the successes I would measure by looking at, is it standing strongly on its own feet
32:14militarily, economically, democratically?
32:17Is it integrated with the institutions that it wants to be integrated with?
32:21And I believe it's on a trajectory to do just that.
32:24The support of so many countries around the world is vital.
32:27When it comes to the Middle East, we're working virtually every minute of the day to try to
32:32bring this to a better place, and in particular, to get a ceasefire in Gaza, to get hostages
32:38coming home, to try to put Gaza, and more broadly, the other areas of potential conflict
32:43in the region, on a better track.
32:46And from my perspective, it's imperative that we get that done, and we're working at it.
32:54And we're doing that, again, irrespective of an election in our country.
32:58We're doing that because that's our responsibility in this moment.
33:01And as long as we have that responsibility, we'll continue to do our best to get to the
33:05right place.
33:07We have one more minute left.
33:12Short question.
33:13Yes.
33:14In the center.
33:17Do you have a loud voice?
33:18Please speak up.
33:19Thank you, Senator.
33:20Thank you, Secretary.
33:21So, my name is Scott.
33:22I'm a Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Master's of Public Policy candidate.
33:41And my question to you is somewhat related with your previous answer.
33:44I know that this session is talking about the Indo-Pacific strategy, but of course,
33:50recently, we've heard some scary kind of breaking news about the senior Hamas official
33:58being killed in Iran.
34:00And so, I just wanted to get your sense, because I believe this would be the first time that
34:05I get to hear about what your perspective is and how this changes the negotiations,
34:11because he was at the forefront of Hamas negotiations.
34:14So, thank you.
34:16Well, of course, I've seen the reports, and all I can tell you right now is I think nothing
34:24takes away from the importance of, as I said a moment ago, getting to the ceasefire, which
34:30is manifestly in the interests of the hostages and bringing them home.
34:35It's manifestly in the interests of Palestinians who are suffering terribly every single day.
34:39Children, women, men in Gaza who've been caught in this crossfire of Hamas' making.
34:46It's profoundly in the interest of trying to put things on a better path, not only in
34:52Gaza, but actually throughout the region, because so much is tied to what's happening
34:57in Gaza right now.
34:59We've been working from day one not only to try to get to a better place in Gaza, but
35:04also to prevent the conflict from spreading, whether it's the north with Lebanon and Hezbollah,
35:10whether it's the Red Sea with the Houthis, whether it's Iran, Syria, Iraq, you name it.
35:19And a big key to trying to make sure that that doesn't happen and that we can move to
35:25a better place is getting the ceasefire.
35:28I'm not going to speculate on what impact any one event might have on that.
35:33I've learned over many years never to really speculate about that, because we simply don't know.
35:40What I do know is the enduring imperative of getting the ceasefire, and what I do know
35:45is we'll continue to work at that every day.
35:49Sorry.
35:50Ladies and gentlemen, I'm afraid I will have to bring this discussion to a close.
35:56I've been told, you know.
36:00So let us show our appreciation to Secretary Blinken.
36:11Thank you so much.
36:12Great to be with you.
36:14Thanks, everyone.