Singapore PM Lee says US, China must learn to cooperate

SINGAPORE -- The United States and China must learn to cooperate with each other for the benefit of the world, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said.

The impact would be felt broadly should relations sour between the two countries, Lee said, speaking virtually last week at the inaugural Global Forum on Economic Recovery hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce.

"You are going to have a state of tension -- anxiety at the very least and conflict possibly -- all over the world," Lee said.

Both America and China are countries with huge economic power, high-tech and nuclear capabilities, and modernized armed forces, he pointed out.

"So if the two countries clash, everything is to be lost," he said.

Both countries must accept each other as they are, work together and find common ground for cooperation, the prime minister added.

Opportunities for cooperation include climate change, nuclear non-proliferation, and public health, Lee said.