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Biden's pick for US ambassador to Singapore wants to boost economic ties, engage Govt on press freedom

SINGAPORE — The nominee to be the next United States ambassador to Singapore said he wants to “promote shared prosperity” between the two nations, but wants the Government here to change its stance on press freedom as “a priority”.

Jonathan Eric Kaplan appears before a Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing on his nomination to be Ambassador to Singapore, in Washington DC on Oct 20, 2021.

Jonathan Eric Kaplan appears before a Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing on his nomination to be Ambassador to Singapore, in Washington DC on Oct 20, 2021.

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  • Mr Jonathan Kaplan was speaking during a US senate hearing to confirm Mr Biden’s picks for ambassadors to Singapore, China and Japan
  • He affirmed that if selected, he would make his office available for press freedom advocates here
  • Mr Kaplan plans to strengthen the bilateral trade relationship between both nations
  • He also pledged to strengthen military and people-to-people ties between both nations, if he is selected for the role

 

SINGAPORE — The nominee to be the next United States ambassador to Singapore said he wants to “promote shared prosperity” between the two nations, but wants the Government here to change its stance on press freedom as “a priority”.

Technology entrepreneur Jonathan Kaplan, who was nominated for the post by US President Joe Biden, said: “They may not want to change, we’re going to want them to change, but we’re going to have a dialogue. This is an area of fundamental freedoms, this is a topic of importance for the administration, and this is a priority for me."

Mr Kaplan, who is reportedly aged in his early 50s, was speaking during a US Senate hearing on Wednesday (Oct 20) to confirm Mr Biden’s picks for ambassadors to Singapore, China and Japan.

He noted that Singapore is a vital economic partner to the US, and said he plans to strengthen the trade relationship between both nations. He also pledged to strengthen military and people-to-people ties, if he is confirmed for the role.

The hearing follows US Vice-President Kamala Harris’ visit to Singapore in August, as well as US defence chief Lloyd Austin’s visit in July.

During the hearing, Mr Kaplan had been quizzed by senators about his approach to Singapore’s press freedom record. Some of the senators noted that Singapore had ranked 160 out of 180 in this year’s World Press Freedom Index.

“This is an area where, if I’m confirmed, we’re going to have to engage with the Singapore Government,” he said. “The nice thing is friends are able to talk about difficult topics.”

He also affirmed that if selected, he would make his office available for press freedom advocates here.

“Globally this is an important issue, it’s not just an issue that’s important to me personally, it is important to the United States and the administration overall,” Mr Kaplan added.

SINGAPORE A ‘VITAL ECONOMIC PARTNER’

During the hearing, Mr Kaplan noted that Singapore is a “vital economic partner” for the US, with more than 5,400 US companies registered here.

“These businesses provide responsible, sustainable investment for the region and directly support more than 215,000 American jobs here at home,” he said.

He added that the Free Trade Agreement ​​signed between the US and Singapore in 2003 was the US’ first bilateral goods and services agreement with an Asian country, and is the “cornerstone of a now more than US$90 billion (S$121 billion) trade partnership”.

The US is also the largest foreign investor in Singapore, with more than US$270 billion in direct investments, which makes Singapore the largest recipient of US investment in the Indo-Pacific region.

“If confirmed, I plan to strengthen our bilateral trade relationship, advance an economic agenda that promotes a shared prosperity, further secure economic resiliency and our access to supply, and work with Singapore to tackle the climate crisis,” said Mr Kaplan.

He also touched on Singapore as a critical partner in enabling a strong US security presence in the region. For instance, he noted that Singapore is Southeast Asia’s largest purchaser of US military equipment, with more than US$20 billion invested in both direct commercial sales and foreign military sales over the last 10 years.

He also affirmed US-Singapore people to people ties, noting that Singaporeans are active participants in US educational and exchange programmes.

For example, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, more than 4,000 Singaporeans were studying in US universities, and more than 1,000 Americans studied in Singapore.

If confirmed, Mr Kaplan said he would look for opportunities to strengthen the security partnership between both nations, as well as create even stronger relationships between the two countries.

The position of US ambassador to Singapore has been vacant since the January 2017 departure of Kirk Wagar, who was appointed by former president Barack Obama.

During the hearing, the committee chairman, Senator Robert Menendez, said the vacancy had proved to be an obstacle to the US’ deepening engagement with the region.

Addressing Mr Kaplan, he added: “When we have not had a confirmed ambassador in Singapore for almost five years now, it’s tough to have diplomatic engagement, which underscores the importance of getting you in place as soon as possible.”

TODAY has sought comment from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Mr Kaplan’s remarks.

Related topics

United States ambassador Joe Biden press freedom bilateral trade

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