Rules-based order is key to stability in Indo-Pacific, say defence chiefs in Singapore

(From left) Mr Carlito Galvez Jr, senior undersecretary and officer-in-charge of the Philippines’ Department of National Defence; IISS director-general John Chipman, British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, and Canadian Defence Minister Anita Anand. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

SINGAPORE, June 4 (The Straits Times/ANN): Upholding international law and continued cooperation are key to maintaining stability in the Indo-Pacific region, said defence officials from the Philippines, Canada and Britain at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit on Saturday.

“Good fences make good neighbours,” said Mr Carlito Galvez Jr, senior undersecretary and officer-in-charge of the Philippines’ Department of National Defence, at a plenary session. “It is only when neighbours have clear boundaries and respect for set boundaries that relations remain genuinely amicable.”