Lee Hsien Loong

Is China, through its growing power, alienating its neighbors?

The Chinese want their neighbors to be their friends. At the same time, on something like the South China Sea, they want their interests to prevail. [But] if they push too hard, there’ll be a pushback.

So what are you telling China?

We’re telling the Chinese that you have your rights, you are entitled to assert your rights, but at the same time you have to look at the broader relationship and calculate that how you handle the South China Sea issue will be seen as one marker of how a powerful China will assert its place in the world.

You have spoken in Beijing about the need not to underestimate the U.S. Does China understand?

The Chinese understand that it would be very many years before they can catch up to the Americans in terms of level of technology or science or defense. But they may think that with American elections coming … there’s a window of opportunity when the Americans are distracted elsewhere, that they will have greater freedom of maneuver.

And what advice are you giving the Americans?

You have a lot of friends [in Asia], you have a lot of investments here, you have a lot of interests here, and it’s foolish of you not to look to them. When you make decisions, you have to think about that and not just your congressional district.

–ZOHER ABDOOLCARIM AND HANNAH BEECH