Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong warned on Sunday that tensions between the United States and China, as well as the Russia-Ukraine conflict, are threatening Asia-Pacific security.

“We may expect greater geopolitical contestation in the Asia-Pacific,” he said, adding that Singapore will do all possible to avoid becoming entangled in the “big power struggle.”

He added at the city-national state’s day rally that deteriorating US-China ties make collaboration on important global challenges including climate change, pandemics, and nuclear proliferation “nearly impossible.”