"It is essential that all players work together to arrive at a new equilibrium. This necessarily involves give-and-take on all sides. While it may be difficult, we must do it and avoid a return to the pre-World War II system of bilateralism, or the Cold War-era bifurcation of global politics," said Senior Minister of State for Defence Heng Chee How at the 8th Moscow Conference for International Security.

"We are facing many kinds of tension in the world today, and the best way to achieve stability and to overcome some of the potential risks…is to do our best to strengthen multilateral platforms and multilateral understanding."