CONFIDENTIAL
6. None of this will work without regional stability. Neither in Malaysia nor Singapore did I detect any specific fears, other than the omnipresence of China. There is a clear belief that economic considerations will force China into a compromise on the Spratleys and that the North Korean and Cambodian problems will remain localised, if intractable. But there is an amorphous but persistent concern that the partial withdrawal of the US from the region will create a vacuum in which instability could flourish. The Five Power Defence Arrangements have a part to play in reassuring Malaysia and Singapore: both countries are realistic about the constraints on Britain, but they would also welcome any additional contribution we could make as a symbol of our continuing commitment.
7. A major sub-theme of my Malaysia visit was Bosnia. I spent a good deal of time explaining why military
intervention would be against the interests of the Muslim population. Whether my arguments registered is unclear, but I formed the impression that they had not done so previously with some of my interlocutors. No counter-arguments were produced. It may be that the recent and highly unsuccessful experiment of importing a group of (agnostic) Bosnian Muslims into Malaysia is giving them second thoughts. But we should continue to put our message across to Malaysians at a high level: otherwise, we may lose the argument by default.
Singapore
Lee
8. In Singapore I was received at the highest political level, in particular by Goh Chok Tong and Lee Kuan Yew. Kuan Yew continues to maintain as firm and authoritarian a grip on the country as ever, but Goh Chok Tong is no cypher. His specific interest was to discover whether Britain still pulls her weight at the global top table and whether our regional aims are entrepreneurial rather than conservative; I hope I convinced them on both counts.
9. Singapore remains an intensely nationalistic and corporatist country with a dynamic economy. They are doing significant business with their neighbours, designed to enhance their own growing per capita income (nearly $US 15,000 per annum as opposed to $US 450 at independence). They greatly value their relationship with the UK and want to work with us in the region.
J
10. Hong Kong dominated my official talks and other contacts. Partly because of Lee Kuan Yew's control - and partly because of the national identification with things Chinese China's position on Hong Kong receives widespread reportage in the Singaporean press at our expense. I made
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