Singapore strives to remain equidistant amid US-China rivalry: ‘same-same but different’

Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan on Friday told parliament that Singapore would not act as a proxy for any major power, stressing that the city state must be prepared to “courteously stand up and say no”.

Observers say his remarks come at a time when geopolitical guard rails are weakening and conflicts beyond Asia are adding fresh pressure on small states to take sides.

While the US is Singapore’s largest foreign investor and a major security cooperation ally, China is the city state’s largest trading partner in goods.

Speaking during the debate on his ministry’s budget, Balakrishnan said Singapore had a “unique relationship” with China as the only other sovereign state in the world with a majority Chinese population and deep linguistic, cultural and historical links.

However, Singapore had to assert its distinctiveness as a multiracial city state in the heart of Southeast Asia to remain relevant, he noted.