分析人士表示，新加坡外长维文·巴拉克里斯南的行程符合新加坡在与较大邻国打交道时所采取的审慎做法。
Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan’s trip is consistent with Singapore’s measured approach in dealing with its larger neighbour, analysts say.
新加坡外长维文·巴拉克里斯南周二在印度尼西亚雅加达举行的新闻发布会上发言。照片：路透社新加坡决定派遣其最高外交官对印度尼西亚进行突击访问，此前双方就区域性霾害问题进行了数日简短的交锋，这凸显了新加坡试图缓解日益升级的紧张局势，并与总统普拉博沃·苏比安托建立直接沟通渠道的努力。
Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan speaks during a press briefing in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters Singapore ’s decision to send its top diplomat to Indonesia on a surprise visit, following days of terse exchanges over a regional haze, underscores a bid to defuse growing tensions and seek a direct channel to President Prabowo Subianto .
分析人士表示，外长维文·巴拉克里斯南的行程反映了新加坡在印度尼西亚民族主义言论高涨的背景下，偏好审慎外交，而这个城邦国家也注意遏制任何“负面影响”，因为雅加达正面对因霾害引发的当地抗议活动。
Analysts say Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan’s trip reflected his country’s preference for measured diplomacy amid rising nationalistic rhetoric in Indonesia, with the city state also mindful of containing any “negative fallout” as Jakarta grapples with local protests against the haze.
巴拉克里斯南周三在普拉博沃的私人住宅与其会面，此前一天双方承诺在应对跨境霾害问题上加深合作。
Balakrishnan met Prabowo at his private residence on Wednesday, a day after both states pledged deeper collaboration in tackling transboundary haze .
周三，由学生领袖和公民团体领导的抗议活动在雅加达爆发，抗议政府处理导致印度尼西亚部分地区及邻国笼罩在有毒霾霾下的森林火灾的方式。
Protests led by student leaders and civil society groups broke out in Jakarta on Wednesday over the government’s handling of forest fires that led to toxic haze blanketing parts of Indonesia and neighbouring countries.
巴拉克里斯南的行程与国内一次罕见的会议同时发生，10家本地注册公司的负责人被召集到三位部长的会议上，以此展示对与霾害有关者采取强硬行动。
Balakrishnan’s trip coincided with a rare meeting back home in which bosses of 10 locally registered firms were summoned to a session with three ministers in a display of tough action against those linked to the haze.
新加坡外长“突然”飞抵，并请求与普拉博沃会面，当地媒体引用印度尼西亚内阁秘书特迪·维贾亚的话报道说。
Singapore’s foreign minister had flown in “suddenly” and requested an audience with Prabowo, local media cited Indonesian Cabinet Secretary Teddy Wijaya as saying.
印度尼西亚外长阿尔马纳塔·纳西尔（右）与其新加坡同行维文·巴拉克里斯南周二在雅加达外交部会面。照片：法新社会面后，巴拉克里斯南对记者表示，他的行程旨在确保“高层直接沟通”。
Indonesian Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir (right) and his Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jakarta on Tuesday. Photo: AFP Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Balakrishnan said his trip was to ensure “high-level direct communication”.
“即使再恭敬地说，也不能仅靠电话或通过媒体进行外交。必须有面对面的直接解释，传达关切，并寻求解决方案，”他说。
“You can’t conduct diplomacy just by the phone or through the media, with all due respect. There’s face-to-face direct explanation, conveying concerns, and also looking for solutions,” he said.
这位外交部长拒绝透露会谈细节，但表示，普拉博沃与新加坡总理劳伦斯·黄已经“在最高层”进行过通信。
The top diplomat declined to elaborate on the meeting’s details but said Prabowo and Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had already corresponded “at the highest level”.
巴拉克里斯南周二与印尼外长阿尔马纳塔·纳西尔会晤，双方宣布成立联合特别工作组，调查与印尼造成霾霾的森林火灾有关的公司。
Balakrishnan met his Indonesian counterpart Arrmanatha Nasir on Tuesday, and both announced the establishment of a joint task force to investigate companies linked to haze-creating forest fires in Indonesia.
巴拉克里斯南表示，该特别工作组将确保双方密切协调和共享数据。“因此，我们预期，这个联合特别工作组的威慑作用将产生影响。”
Balakrishnan said the task force would ensure close coordination and data-sharing between both sides. “We expect, therefore, the deterrent impact of this joint task force to make a difference.”
雅加达战略与国际研究中心国际关系部主任莉娜·亚历山德拉表示，该特别工作组是一个“良好的开端”，但需要各机构之间高度合作。
Lina Alexandra, head of the international relations department at the Jakarta-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said the task force was a “good start” but would require high levels of inter-agency cooperation.
“我实际上非常有希望，但肯定需要后续行动和更密集的合作，”她说。持续的“低调”外交观察人士表示，巴拉克里斯南的访问符合新加坡在与较大邻国打交道时所采取的审慎做法，反映了这个城邦作为小国的局限性。
“I’m very hopeful, actually, but there must be follow-ups and more intensive cooperation for sure,” she said. Consistent ‘quiet’ diplomacy Balakrishnan’s visit was consistent with Singapore’s measured approach in dealing with its larger neighbour, which reflected the city state’s constraints as a small nation, observers said.
马来亚大学外交事务分析师柯林斯·崔表示，他请求与普拉博沃个人会面，是新加坡方面“明确传递紧迫性”的信号，也是向雅加达表示，新加坡理解局势的战略影响，并希望在关系可能恶化之前稳定关系。
His request to meet Prabowo personally was a “clear signal of urgency” on Singapore’s part for de-escalation, as well as a nod to Jakarta that it understood the strategic implications of the situation and wanted to stabilise ties before potential deterioration, said Collins Chong, a foreign affairs analyst at the University of Malaya.
“直接接触普拉博沃很重要，因为他拥有提供必要安抚的政治权威，”他补充道。
“Reaching Prabowo directly is important because he has the political authority to provide the necessary reassurance,” he added.
崔表示，能源和粮食安全以及经济竞争力等更长期的生存性挑战，一直是新加坡更大、更紧迫的战略关切。
Longer-term existential challenges of energy and food security, and economic competitiveness had always been Singapore’s bigger and more pressing strategic concerns, Chong said.
“对于一个资源有限的小国来说，与其直接邻国保持稳定关系是一项基本的国家安全需求，”张说，并指出新加坡此前在雾霾事件中也曾向雅加达提供过类似帮助。
“For a resource-constrained small state, maintaining stable relations with its immediate neighbours is a fundamental national security necessity,” Chong said, noting that Singapore had similarly offered help to Jakarta in previous haze episodes.
周三，一名儿童在印尼南加里曼丹省阿拉拉克村一所小学后方重新燃起的土地火灾现场，在努力扑灭火灾的志愿者中行走。照片：法新社近几周来，紧张局势不断升级，原因是经济破坏指控以及天然气供应减少。雅加达周六开始削减向新加坡输送的天然气管道，理由是国内需求上升。
A child walks among volunteers struggling to extinguish a land fire that reignited behind an elementary school at Alalak village in South Kalimantan, Indonesia, on Wednesday. Photo: AFP Tensions have been escalating in recent weeks, fuelled by allegations of economic sabotage and a reduction in gas supplies . Jakarta began cutting its gas line to Singapore on Saturday, citing rising domestic demand.
印尼前贸易部长穆罕默德·卢特菲上周声称，新加坡主权财富基金淡马锡和GIC正在幕后推动全球指数公司MSCI下调雅加达的市场地位，这促使两家公司迅速予以否认。
Former Indonesian trade minister Muhammad Lutfi claimed last week that Singapore’s sovereign wealth funds Temasek and GIC were working behind the scenes to push global index MSCI to downgrade Jakarta’s market status, prompting swift denials from both firms.
观察人士指出，巴拉克里斯南在访问期间并未明确提及这两起事件。周二，该部长表示，新加坡对印尼“充满信心”，并表示这一情绪体现在其行动中。
Observers noted that Balakrishnan did not explicitly raise both incidents during his visit. On Tuesday, the minister said Singapore had “full confidence” in Indonesia – a sentiment he noted was reflected in its actions.
“当然，作为邻国，我们可能并非在所有事情上都意见一致。但重要的是，我们如何管理分歧，并共同克服挑战，”巴拉克里斯南说，他偶尔使用印尼语讲话。“正如印尼谚语所说，‘分担重担，共同承担轻担’。”
“Of course, as neighbours, we may not always agree on everything. But what matters is how we manage our differences and overcome challenges together,” said Balakrishnan, who spoke occasionally in Bahasa Indonesia. “As the Indonesian saying goes, ‘Share the heavy burdens, and carry the lighter ones together’.”
新加坡南亚研究所（RSIS）高级研究员张安乐称这句话是“非常外交的措辞”，并表示：“我认为巴拉克里斯南此次访问雅加达未公开的部分，实际上是为了处理这些问题，并中和任何负面影响。”
Alan Chong, a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), called the quote a “very diplomatic turn of phrase” and said, “I think the undeclared part of Balakrishnan’s visit to Jakarta is to actually sort out these issues and neutralise any negative fallout.”
他说，新加坡在与印尼打交道时有使用“静默外交”的先例，并引用了早先的事件，例如当时财政部长普尔巴亚·尤迪·萨德瓦建议对通过马六甲海峡的船舶征收过路费。
He said Singapore had a precedent of using “quiet diplomacy” in its dealings with Indonesia, citing earlier incidents such as when then finance minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa suggested imposing a levy on ships passing through the Malacca Strait.
作为回应，新加坡多次重申，通过该海峡的通行权是依据国际法享有的权利。
In response, Singapore reaffirmed on multiple occasions that transit through the strait was a right in accordance with international law.
亚历山德拉表示，她希望此次访问以及加强应对烟雾问题的合作，能够缓解双边紧张局势。
Alexandra said she hoped the visit and the increased collaboration on tackling the haze would soothe bilateral tensions.
她建议印度尼西亚“创建一个真正的机制，防止此类事件再次发生，从而避免此类紧张局势”。
She suggested Indonesia “create a real mechanism to prevent such things from happening again so that these kinds of tensions can be avoided”.
一张合成图片显示，9月28日，一名骑车人沿新加坡滨海湾东花园骑行，城市天际线被烟雾笼罩（上图），同一组建筑在周二的晴朗天空下清晰可见（下图）。照片：法新社阿兰·张警告称，类似削减天然气出口的事件——印度尼西亚将其解释为对国内需求上升的回应——在未来可能会越来越频繁地发生，因为普拉博沃将继续推行民族主义举措。
A combination image shows a cyclist riding along Marina Bay east garden in Singapore as the city skyline is shrouded with haze on September 28 (top), and the same buildings seen through clear skies on Tuesday (below). Photo: AFP Alan Chong warned that incidents such as the gas export cut – which Indonesia rationalised as a reaction to rising domestic demand – might occur with increasing frequency in the future as Prabowo continued nationalistic moves.
周一，印度尼西亚敦促其小朝圣者优先选择飞往沙特阿拉伯的直飞航班，而非经新加坡转机的航班，理由是这有助于加强该国的航空业。
On Monday, Indonesia urged its umrah pilgrims to prioritise direct flights to Saudi Arabia over transit routes through Singapore, citing the potential to strengthen the country’s aviation industry.
“新加坡是一个方便的目标……我认为[普拉博沃]期望新加坡能坦然接受，”阿兰·张说。
“Singapore is a convenient target … and I think [Prabowo] expects Singapore to take it in stride,” Alan Chong said.
巴拉克里斯南的访问标志着试图提醒印尼领导人“我们关系良好，不要再搞破坏了”，他补充道。网络言论的危险观察人士表示，尽管随着民族主义情绪高涨，妥协的成本可能会上升，但不太可能影响长期的双边合作。
Balakrishnan’s visit marked a bid to remind the Indonesia leader “we have got a good relationship, and let’s not rock it further”, he added. Dangers of online rhetoric While the cost of compromise may rise with intensifying nationalistic sentiments, observers say it is unlikely to affect long-standing bilateral cooperation.
巴拉克里斯南周三承认，最近几周对新加坡居民来说是一个“令人担忧、焦虑和愤怒的时期”，当时空气质量已突破“非常不健康水平”。
Balakrishnan on Wednesday acknowledged that recent weeks were a “period of concern, anxiety and anger” for residents in Singapore, when air quality had breached “very unhealthy levels”.
许多新加坡人将不满发泄到网上，有些人呼吁政府对邻国采取更严厉的法律措施。印尼人也同样指责总部位于新加坡的公司导致森林火灾。
Many Singaporeans have taken their frustration online, with some calling for their government to take harsher legal measures against its neighbour. Indonesians have similarly accused Singapore-headquartered firms of contributing to the forest fires.
周日，新加坡前国会提名议员卡尔文·程提出切断海底光缆的设想，并分享一张图表，称雅加达90%的互联网流量路径经过新加坡。
On Sunday, Calvin Cheng, a former Singapore nominated member of parliament, floated the idea of cutting undersea fibre-optic cables, sharing a graphic stating that 90 per cent of Jakarta’s internet traffic routes passed through Singapore.
印度尼西亚通信与数字事务部长梅蒂亚·哈菲德周二予以反击，指出连接新加坡的大部分海底电缆系统经过印度尼西亚领海。
Indonesia’s Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid hit back on Tuesday, noting that most of the subsea cable system connecting to Singapore passed through Indonesian waters.
“若被切断，无论是意外还是故意，新加坡80%的连接能力都将面临崩溃风险，”她在社交媒体上写道。
“Should they be severed, whether accidentally or intentionally, 80 per cent of Singapore’s connectivity capacity would be at risk of collapse,” she wrote on social media.
梅蒂亚表示，全球科技投资者若失去印度尼西亚2.67亿用户——这一人口数量是新加坡的47倍——可能会撤离新加坡。阿兰·宗批评程的言论“天真”。
Meutya said global tech investors could exit Singapore if they lost Indonesia’s user base of 267 million people – a population 47 times that of Singapore. Alan Chong slammed Cheng’s remark as “naive”.
“你可以表达不满，但你不能以切断通信作为报复手段来威胁，”他说。[嵌入式媒体]柯林斯·宗警告称，不友好的政治言辞构成“迫在眉睫的危险”，因为它可能引发民族主义反应的循环，并导致邻国政府将本意面向国内受众的言论误读。
“You can express unhappiness, but you do not threaten the severing of communications as a form of retaliation,” he said. [embedded media] Unfriendly political rhetoric posed an “immediate danger” as it could create a cycle of nationalist reactions and risk neighbouring governments interpreting statements intended for a domestic audience, Collins Chong warned.
“这可能会缩小妥协的政治空间，迫使双方表现出更大的决心，即使其潜在的战略利益倾向于合作，”他说。
“This can narrow the political room for compromise and force both sides to demonstrate greater resolve, even when their underlying strategic interests favour cooperation,” he said.
RSIS印尼项目副研究员杰斐逊·吴表示，两国在经济原则和模式上的差异可能导致了“当前的动荡”。
Jefferson Ng, an associate research fellow at RSIS’ Indonesia Programme, said differences in economic principles and models between both states could have caused the “current turbulence”.
但他指出，两国已在各个问题上建立了全面合作。7月，两国领导人签署了26项协议，涵盖经济、能源和国防等领域。
But he noted that both nations had established comprehensive cooperation across various issues. In July, leaders of the two countries signed 26 agreements which spanned areas such as economy, energy and defence.
“尽管近几周由于双方的不满，网络上的言论和内容处于高位，但我认为整体双边关系非常牢固，能够度过难关。”
“While online chatter and content have been at elevated levels in recent weeks due to frustrations on both sides, I think the overall bilateral relationship is very strong and will be able to weather the storm.”
巴拉克里什南周三表示，跨境争端不可避免地会引发政治和论战问题。
Balakrishnan on Wednesday said political and polemic issues were bound to surface in the face of transboundary rows.
“重要的是保持冷静头脑，进行直接、诚实、坦率、建设性的对话，并寻求集体方式，”他指出。
“It’s important for cool heads to prevail, for direct, honest, candid, constructive conversations to be had, and for us to look for a collective approach,” he said.
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Sections: This Week in Asia / Politics / News / Asia / Southeast Asia | Topics: Singapore, Indonesia, Diplomacy, Environment, Prabowo Subianto, Malaysia, Alan Chan, Centre for Strategic and International Studies (US), Temasek Holdings, GIC, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Natural disasters, Protests around the world Short link: https://sc.mp/efd0c Read the original article on SCMP