The report said various Chinese individuals and entities aim to do so through Singapore’s Chinese-language Lianhe Zaobao newspaper, and its clan and business associations.

Taiwan the ‘most dangerous flashpoint’ in US-China rivalry, Singapore PM says

Chan said Singapore was “well aware of these activities and the government is constantly vigilant against agents of influence of all countries”. She added that local officials had previously uncovered “black ops targeting our population, seeking to manipulate sentiments”.

Chan, who was Singapore’s former ambassador to the US, suggested that senior Washington officials were likely to consider reports about Chinese influence operations more seriously.

She said some top thinkers in the US believed that Southeast Asia was not too concerned about Chinese interference activities in the region, and they expect Washington to take stronger action to counter Beijing.

“We should be prepared for a stepped-up battle of narratives, much more than currently evident,” Chan said.

While she conceded that Singapore could not be involved in the battle between the two superpowers for regional influence, it was important for the city state to continue its policy of speaking up on key issues that affect other countries arising from the rivalry. The city state must not take sides between Washington and Beijing and be firm to say “no” to either government where necessary, she added.

Bilahari Kausikan, a former permanent secretary in the Singapore foreign ministry, agreed with Chan’s remarks at the conference, saying it was a challenge that did not provide “definitive” solutions.

In the battleground between two behemoths, “you just have to keep mowing the lawn because the grass will keep growing”, Kausikan said.

“This is not a fight that will be won by a few speeches by senior leaders. The fight has to be continually fought at the grassroots level because that is where the problem lies – including among some grassroots leaders,” he added.

The two envoys’ remarks come after the Washington Post’s report on July 24 sparked considerable debate in Singapore and beyond.

The US newspaper said a joint study it conducted with the Australia Strategic Policy Institute showed that the Lianhe Zaobao newspaper “now routinely echoes some of Beijing’s most strident falsehoods”, including “denying evidence” of rights abuses in Xinjiang and alleging that protests in Hong Kong and in mainland China were instigated by foreign forces. The report also said the newspaper typically leaned towards Beijing’s positions in the China-US rivalry.

The Lianhe Zaobao – which has close links with the Singapore establishment – has refuted the allegations. Current Singapore ambassador to the US, Lui Tuck Yew, told the Washington Post in a letter that “it was wrong to expect Zaobao to resemble the Washington Post or for Singapore to follow either the US or China”.

Singapore’s government in 2021 passed a law targeting foreign interference activities, with ministers speaking in Parliament about the need for residents to guard against influence operations regardless of their source.

In his annual national policy address last year, Prime Minister Lee warned citizens to “actively guard” against foreign influence efforts including on social media, stressing the importance of guarding the city state’s sovereignty. His remarks on the issue were delivered during his Mandarin and English speeches.