SINGAPORE – US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter arrived in Singapore on Thursday (June 2) ahead of a regional security summit likely to be dominated by China’s continued military build up in the South China Sea.

His attendance at this weekend’s Shangri-La Dialogue is part of a broader US diplomatic push to build and maintain alliances in the Asia-Pacific region, which America sees as key to its own long-term economic and security interests.

In the year since the last summit, China has stepped up its maritime patrols across the South China Sea and built up a series of military bases on small islands it reclaimed from the ocean.

Carter has spoken forcefully about China’s military moves in the South China Sea and last week said Beijing risked building a “Great Wall of self-isolation.”

There are no official US-China meetings planned at the Shangri-La meeting, at which Carter gives a keynote speech on Saturday.

China has indicated it may soon declare an Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) that would require civilian aircraft to identify themselves to military controllers in the region. Beijing did something similar in the East China Sea two years ago over several small islands contested by Japan.

“We of course would be very concerned about a Chinese declaration of an ADIZ,” a US defence official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“The declaration of an ADIZ over disputed territory is provocative,” the official added, but noted: “such a declaration would not affect our own military operations.” The US military has conducted several “freedom of navigation” operations in which it sends a ship or plane to pass by a Chinese-claimed island as a way of showing it rejects claims of sovereignty.

Washington has stressed the importance of increased ties to regional partners such as Vietnam and Malaysia as a counterbalance to China’s moves.

But incoming Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday he would not be fully reliant on the United States, the Philippines’ former colonial ruler and most important military ally.

And in a sign of a possibly warming view of China, Duterte called Xi Jinping “a great president”.

Chinese-Philippine ties soured during the six-year term of outgoing President Benigno Aquino, whose government sued China before a United Nations tribunal over its claims to most of the South China Sea.

The Philippines has “a new government there and we look forward to working with them, talking with them about our alliance, about security affairs in the region, and I very much look forward to meeting my new counterpart,” Carter told reporters as he flew to Singapore, adding that the US-Philippines alliance was “ironclad.”

Carter’s Singapore visit is the fifth time he has travelled to the Asia-Pacific region since becoming Pentagon chief in February 2015, calling it “the single most consequential” region for America’s future.

No good deed goes unnoticed – and 12-year-old Ashvin Gunasegaran, dubbed a hero for rushing to help drivers in an accident, has received an award for his gallant act.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) presented Ashvin with a Public Spiritedness Award today (June 2), in recognition of his efforts.

His story surfaced after his sister, Miss Laava Gunasegaran, shared his deed of kindness on Facebook on Tuesday (May 31).

Ashvin had been making his way home after remedial lessons that day, when he approached a busy junction. According to Miss Gunasegaran’s post, he was crossing the road when he heard a loud “boom” behind him.

When he saw that a car had crashed into another, he instinctively approached the two drivers, to check if they were all right.

When Ashvin learnt that one of the drivers was pregnant and bleeding, he ran to ask his friends to call for an ambulance.

“I wanted to ensure the victim was okay because she was crying and said she was in pain,” Ashvin told reporters after receiving the award. Relieved that the victim was all right, he said he was scared and praying hard for the accident not to be fatal.

Read also: Student takes action while adults take photos of accident

Ashvin’s story had also garnered much attention because it seems other people – including adults – who were present were busy taking photos and videos instead of helping.

Ashvin said he was disappointed no one helped.

The Yishun Primary pupil, however, did not expect to be called a hero for his actions.

“Ashvin’s heart of gold helped him move forward to render help,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Eric Chua, commander of the Third SCDF Division.

He believes more Singaporeans will be inspired by Ashvin because of the awareness his kind act has created.

“He’s my hero in the house now,” said Ashvin’s mother, Ms Swares Helen Louisa, 50.

She said he regularly helps her out around the house but it was amazing that a 12-year-old boy like him rushed to help strangers without even hesitating.

She added that she was very excited to buy a copy of the paper when she found out he had made headlines.

Ashvin’s sister, Ms Gunasegaran, 25, says her little brother has been overwhelmed by the overnight fame. “I didn’t think this was going to be such a big deal because everyone does kind deeds,” she said.

The boy’s father, Mr A. Gunasegaran, 53, who works for the PUB as a technician, is very proud of his son, and even posted a copy of the newspaper on the bulletin board at work to show his colleagues.

For all the attention he has received, Ashvin has not let the fame get to his head.

He had this advice for members of the public who witness an accident.

“Don’t be shy to help,” he said.

Adults could learn a thing or two from this 12-year-old hero.

ssandrea@sph.com.sg

xiuhuil@sph.com.sg