Singapore says fighter jet unit on Guam is sign of ‘trajectory’

SINGAPORE’S agreement to establish a fighter jet training detachment on Guam “sets the trajectory” in which the city-state sees itself in partnership with the US, its defense chief said.

Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen and US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper signed the agreement, which followed the recent renewal of a pact that allows American forces use of Singapore bases, according to a statement on the Singapore Ministry of Defense’s web site.

Most leaders and people in Asia would say they want America’s presence to be continued, Ng said on Saturday at the Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, California. “They don’t want to choose between great power rivalry between the US and China, but they also both want to be involved, including other powers.”

Ng said US domestic politics, which he described as “not business as usual” and “hard not to notice,” are causing an adjustment in policy, without elaborating.