SINGAPORE, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies Heng Swee Keat said on Wednesday that all nations should build greater trust and confidence, and strengthen partnerships.

This is to address common threats they face that can severely disrupt lives and livelihoods, such as pandemics, climate change, and terrorist attacks, Heng said while delivering his keynote speech at the third Singapore Defence Technology Summit.

According to Heng, each nation has the responsibility to safeguard its sovereignty and the security of its citizens, but this needs not be a zero-sum game.

The Singapore official said the world is undergoing rapid changes and disruptions, and the defence technology community too will have to respond to key shifts in the operating context. This will involve harnessing the full force of technology from the private sector and academia, countering new asymmetrical threats, building more adaptive capacity in the defence eco-system, and "greening" the militaries to cope with climate change.

Heng called on nations to collectively confront their common challenges and improve lives, so as to build a safer, more resilient and greener world.

The Singapore Defence Technology Summit, held by Singapore's Defence Science and Technology Agency, will be conducted both in person and online on Oct. 12-15. A record number of close to 800 participants including eminent global thought leaders across government, commercial sectors, academia and think tanks will examine the impact of recent disruptions, share their perspectives and forge collaboration to shape the future of technology at the event. Enditem

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