Singapore and other countries "want very much" to maintain good relations with China, and hopes China and the U.S. can coexist, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a BBC interview that aired on Sunday.

Coexistence benefits all

In the interview, Lee said the coexistence of the two major world powers – China and the U.S. – is for the sake of their national interests as well as stability and development in the Asia Pacific region.

According to Lee, the U.S. is still number one, but China, as the number two country in the world, is not so far behind.

The U.S. might find the fact hard to accept, said Lee, who acknowledged there will be competition and tensions in the region. Meanwhile, he believes that the two countries have to coexist since "neither of them is able to put the other one away and neither of them is going to curl up and die."

"China is not like the Soviet Union, which had an economy which was unsustainable, a lot of which was make-believe," Lee said, noting that the U.S. cannot push China over the brink as what they used to do with the Soviet Union.

Not possible to pick sides between China and the U.S.

When asked which country Singapore would side with if China-U.S. relationship deteriorated significantly, the prime minister conceded it is not possible to make the choice as Singapore has very extensive ties with both countries. "Generally, it is that we want to be friends with both, but we have to find our own way forward," he said. 

Noting that this is not a dilemma only for Singapore but a problem for many countries in the world, Lee said "we are all hoping and encouraging the two large powers to think very carefully before deciding that the other one is an adversary which has to be kept down, if not put down."

China's prosperity an opportunity for all

Lee spoke highly of China's resilient economy that has tremendous energy and creativity, and that the Chinese people are on the move to achieve greater progress.

He viewed China's prosperity, development and its growing strength as an opportunity for other countries since the implementation of reform and opening-up over 40 years ago. He said many countries, including Singapore, "want very much" to maintain good relations with China in order to benefit from China's development and to co-prosper with them.

"I think that is a very important factor which China has had in its favor, which would be a pity to miss out on in the next phase," added Lee.

Noting that China is "on a new position," the Singaporean prime minister pointed out that China has to re-achieve a balance in its relationship with the world.