Us-Singapore Relations, 1965-1975: Strategic Non-Alignment in the Cold War

299 Pages·2017·4.021 MB·English

by  Daniel Wei Boon Chua

US-SINGAPORE RELATIONS,
1965–1975
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US-SINGAPORE RELATIONS,
1965–1975
Strategic Non-alignment in the Cold War
Daniel Wei Boon Chua
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© 2017 Daniel Wei Boon Chua
Published by:
NUS Press
National University of Singapore
AS3-01-02, 3 Arts Link
Singapore 117569
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://nuspress.nus.edu.sg
ISBN 978-981-4722-32-2 (paper)
All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in
any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording or any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be
invented, without written permission from the Publisher.
National Library Board, Singapore Cataloguing in Publication Data
Name(s): Chua, Daniel Wei Boon
Title: US-Singapore relations, 1965‒1975: strategic non-alignment in the
Cold War / Daniel Wei Boon Chua.
Description: Singapore: NUS Press, [2017]
Identifier(s): OCN 965877527 | ISBN 978-981-4722-32-2 (paperback)
Subject(s): LLCSH: Singapore--Foreign relations--United States. | United States
--Foreign relations--Singapore. | Cold War--Influence. | Non-alignment
--Singapore. | Nationalism--Singapore.
Classification: DDC 327.7305957--dc23
Cover photo: President Lyndon B. Johnson meets with His Excellency Lee Kuan
Yew, the late Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore in 1967 at the Oval
Office, White House, Washington, D.C. (Photo by Yoichi Okamoto, courtesy of
LBJ Library, Serial # A4985-10).
Typeset by: International Typesetters Pte Ltd
Printed by: Mainland Press Pte Ltd
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Contents
Acknowledgements vii
Abbreviations ix
Dramatis Personae xii
Map of Commonwealth Bases in Singapore xviii
Map of Commonwealth Bases in Malaysia xix
Introduction 1
Part 1: Avoiding Proximity: From Conflict to
Common Interests
Chapter 1: American Containment and Singapore Survival 29
Finding Common Ground
Chapter 2: “Never the Americans” 61
Behind Lee Kuan Yew’s Anti-American
Press Campaign
Chapter 3: United States-Singapore Entente 85
Removing Doubts and Building Trust
v
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vi Contents
Part 2: Keeping at Arm’s Length: Securing
Singapore’s Future
Chapter 4: Resolving the British Withdrawal 115
US-Singapore Defence Cooperation After East of Suez
Chapter 5: Activating Singapore’s Economy 163
US Economic Diplomacy in Singapore
Part 3: Strategic Distancing: Balancing Non-Alignment
and Containment
Chapter 6: Catching the Cold 191
Obstacles in US-Singapore Relations
Chapter 7: From Nixon to Ford 227
Cementing US-Singapore Relations
Conclusion 261
Sources and Bibliography 266
Index 275
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Acknowledgements
Several individuals contributed invaluably to the completion of
this book. I thank Robert Cribb for teaching me to write and for
exemplifying scholarship during my doctoral research at the Australian
National University (ANU) College of Asia and the Pacific. For
inspiring my interest in United States-Singapore relations, I thank Joey
Long and Ang Cheng Guan. I am also grateful to Cheng Guan, as
well as Rahil Ismail and Wang Zhenping, who sparked my interest in
history when I studied at the National Institute of Education. Andrea
Benvenuti gave me my first lesson on the use of archival sources when
we met in London during my fieldwork. Former President of Singapore,
Mr S.R. Nathan, along with Mr Eddie Teo, Mr Bilahari Kausikan,
Mr Tan Seng Chye and Mr Mushahid Ali, generously gave of their
time and allowed me to interview them for this research. I would like
to register my thanks to Jennifer Sheehan from CartoGIS, ANU, for
producing the maps in this book and the archivists at the National
Archives of the UK, National Archives of Australia, National Archives II
at College Park, Maryland, and the Presidential Libraries of Lyndon
Johnson, Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford for assisting in my fieldwork.
Whereas many individuals have contributed towards this book, I bear
sole responsibility for the arguments made and errors that might arise.
Parts of Chapters 2 and 3 were first used in “Revisiting Lee Kuan
Yew’s 1965–66 Anti-Americanism”, Asian Studies Review 38, no. 3 (Sept.
2014): 442–60. Parts of Chapters 6 and 7 have been used in “Becoming
a Good Nixon Doctrine Country: Political Relations between the United
States and Singapore during the Nixon Presidency”, Australian Journal
vii
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viii Acknowledgements
of Politics and History 60, no. 4 (2014): 534–48. I thank the editors of
these two journals for allowing the use of these materials in this book.
I dedicate this book to my family: my parents for believing in me;
Grace for her unstinting love and support; and Eliza, Emily and Evelyn
for filling every day with joy.
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Abbreviations
AAPSO Afro-Asian Peoples’ Solidarity Organisation
AMDA Anglo-Malayan Defence Agreement;
after 1963, Anglo-Malaysian Defence Agreement
ANZUK Australia, New Zealand and United Kingdom
ANZUS Australia, New Zealand and United States alliance
ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations
CCP Chinese Communist Party
CIA Central Intelligence Agency (US)
CINCPAC Commander-in-Chief of the United States Pacific
Command
CNO US Chief of Naval Operations
COMLOG Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific
WESTPAC
CSR Commonwealth Strategic Reserve
CTO Communist Terrorist Organisation
DOD United States Department of Defense
DSA Defense Supply Agency (US)
FCO Foreign and Commonwealth Office (UK)
FDI Foreign direct investments
FPDA Five Power Defence Arrangements
GOA The Government of Australia
ix
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x Abbreviations
GOM The Government of Malaysia
GOS The Government of Singapore
HMG Her Majesty’s Government (UK)
IADS Five Power Integrated Air Defence System
ISA International Security Agency (US)
ISC Internal Security Council (Singapore)
ISG Interagency Study Group (US)
KMT Kuomintang (ROC)
LASS Lockheed Air Services Singapore
LPM Labour Party of Malaysia
LTBT Limited Test Ban Treaty
MCP Malayan Communist Party
MID Ministry of Interior and Defence (Singapore)
MTT Military training teams
NAM Non-Aligned Movement
NPP National Policy Paper (US)
OCAC Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission (PRC)
OPD Defence and Overseas Policy Committee (UK)
PAP People’s Action Party
PKI Partai Komunis Indonesia; Communist Party of
Indonesia
PR Partai Rakyat (Malaysia)
PRC People’s Republic of China
PSA Port of Singapore Authority
R&R Rest and Recuperation Program
RELC Regional English Language Centre (Singapore)
ROC Republic of China on Taiwan
RSAF Republic of Singapore Air Force
RSN Republic of Singapore Navy
SAF Singapore Armed Forces
SCO Sarawak Communist Organisation
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