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The US and China should work together with other countries to update the global rules-based order and not upend the system, Goh Chok Tong, former prime minister of Singapore, said at the 8th World Peace Forum in Beijing on Tuesday.
He said that the US perspective of the world has changed, and a great number of US politicians from both parties now blame the country's problems on globalization.
He said it is becoming more difficult for US politicians to explain to constituents why other countries seem to be growing at the expense of the US, while large sections of the population are missing out benefits of globalization.
He said that when it comes to domestic politics, there is no doubt that all leaders should put their national interests first. However, he said he would be concerned if the US cedes its position of leadership in the world by defining its national interests too narrowly.
He said the US has played a significant role in creating the institutions of global rules-based order, which are the bedrock of unprecedented global peace and prosperity for the last 70 years.
He concluded that China and the US should work together with other countries to build trust for a shared future, and at the same time, the interest of other countries should be taken into account.
