Two days after meeting the Chinese Minister of National Defense, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen held a meeting with Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan on May 31.

According to a press release from MINDEF, Ng hosted Shanahan to breakfast, where they reaffirmed bilateral ties and welcomed the the renewal of the 1990 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the United States Use of Facilities in Singapore.

Both parties also discussed key bilateral initiatives such as including more training detachments for the Republic of Singapore Air Force in a suitable U.S. military base. 

MOU allows the U.S. to access our air and naval bases

The MOU was first signed by the late Lee Kuan Yew, as well as then U.S. Vice President Danny Quayle, and allows the U.S. to access Singapore's air and naval bases.

Under the MOU, the U.S. has rotationally deployed fighter aircraft for exercises, refuelling and maintenance, as well as Littoral Combat Ships and P-8 Poseidon aircraft to Singapore.

This has also made the MOU instrumental to anchoring the presence of the U.S. in the region for the past 30 years.

Both the U.S. and Singapore have since agreed to update the 1990 MOU for renewal by 2020.

This includes incorporating elements on partnership from the U.S. National Defence Strategy that has been recently articulated for the region.

Need for clear heads amidst trade tensions

Separately, in a Facebook post, Ng stressed the importance of having clear heads prevail in security matters amidst trade tensions between countries, although he did not reference the U.S. and China explicitly.

He further added that it also important for communication lines to be kept open so as to deter and de-escalate conflicts.

Ng and Shanahan also affirmed the need for stable defence relations between the U.S. and China, and for countries in the region to cooperate to ensure regional prosperity and security.

U.S. to continue working closely with ASEAN

Shanahan further highlighted that the U.S. intends to continue working closely with ASEAN and remain committed to the region.

He also exchanged views with Ng on a range of geopolitical developments and regional security issues, including countering the terrorism threat in Southeast Asia.

In Singapore for Shangri-La Dialogue

Shanahan is in Singapore for the Shangri-La Dialogue, which runs from May 31 to June 2.

Foreign Policy reported that Shanahan is expected to meet Chinese Minister of National Defense, Wei Fenghe, on the summit's sidelines, and also reveal details of the U.S.' new Indo-Pacific strategy, purportedly aimed at curbing China's growing influence in the region.

Shanahan is also slated to meet Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Istana later on Friday.

America's longest running acting U.S. defence secretary

According to Foreign Policy, Shanahan has been the longest running Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense, since he first took on the job on January 1, 2019, in the wake of the resignation of former Secretary of Defense James Mattis.

Vox reported that Shanahan had previously served as Mattis's deputy, running the day-to-day operations of the Pentagon and attempting to reform bureaucratic processes.

However, signals from the White House suggest that it is only a matter of time before Shanahan is nominated by U.S. President Donald Trump for the permanent position.

On May 9, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders issued a statement on Shanahan, saying:

"Acting Secretary Shanahan has proven over the last several months that he is beyond qualified to lead the Department of Defense, and he will continue to do an excellent job.”

Top image via MINDEF