SMU Chairman Mr Ho Kwon Ping, in an edited version of his speech at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum on November 6, wrote: "What once was an American policy of constructive engagement which then became strategic rivalry is now almost active containment of China. Whether it be near-collisions of warships, or threats of a trade war, or allegations of electoral interference, examples abound of a more aggressive US stance to block what is seen as China's potentially irreversible ascendancy." Mr Ho suggested that China is prepared to play a long game to achieve its goal as a co-equal to the West, and it will get there. “In a deeply divided and yet paradoxically increasingly globalised world, the soft power exerted by global cities which can cross that divide will be transformational. It would be audacious for Singapore to aspire to that role, but it is not impossible,” he concluded.