OTHER countries may test Singapore’s new leadership on foreign policy issues, and how they respond will be crucial, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has warned.
“People will want to see how the new leaders are, what their policies are, and what their personalities are,” he said in his final media interview before he relinquishes his role on Wednesday (May 15).
Foreign leaders may want to test his successor, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, on his standing, strength and support at home, said PM Lee.
They will also want to see if he is “somebody to take seriously”.
But he noted that Wong is not completely new to foreign affairs. As his former principal private secretary and then as a minister, Wong has accompanied PM Lee on numerous official visits over the years.
He has also gone on many overseas trips himself and met world leaders such as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron in April, noted PM Lee.
SEE ALSO
Israel-Hamas conflict has limited economic impact on Singapore unless it turns regional: DPM Wong
A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU
Asean Business
Business insights centering on South-east Asia’s fast-growing economies.
“In the region, he has also met the Asean leaders, quite a few of them,” he added.
The new leadership team must be ready to respond to such tests, he said. “Not in a harsh way, but quietly to stand our ground and let people know that… the new guards are prepared, and the old guards are still giving hopefully useful views to the new team on how to do it.”
Maintaining good relations
Singapore’s foreign policy was among many issues discussed by PM Lee during the two-and-a-half-hour interview, alongside politics, social issues and the economy.
Both the world and Singapore have changed since he became prime minister in 2004, he noted.
The external environment has become “very troubled”. Confidence in free trade has been shaken, and the great powers are at odds with one another.
Meanwhile, Singapore has become more prosperous, and “our diplomacy has helped us to carve a spot in the world, (where) people recognise us”, he said.
What has not changed, however, is that Singapore remains a small country that depends on international rules of law and trade – and must continue to protect its national interests.
Thankfully, relations have been “generally good” with Singapore’s two closest neighbours – Malaysia and Indonesia – and the world’s two largest powers, the US and China.
Tensions between Washington and Beijing are likely to persist for over a decade, but fortunately, Singapore has good relations with both sides, said PM Lee.
Singapore has several government-to-government projects with China, and collaborates closely with the US on key areas like defence and security.
With Malaysia, PM Lee noted that he has worked with several prime ministers to make progress on issues such as maritime delimitation and the railway land dispute.
As for Indonesia, agreements have been signed on airspace, military training and extradition.
But there are still unresolved matters for Wong to take over, he said. For instance, with Malaysia, there are “sensitive issues” such as the ongoing water and airspace disputes.
Be constructive, bridge positions
Asean is another diplomatic platform that remains a “cornerstone of Singapore’s foreign policy”, said PM Lee.
As the bloc is consensus-driven, progress is “often not as quick as we would like”. Nevertheless, it remains an important platform – not just for regional cooperation, but also wider cooperation between Asean and the rest of the world.
That is why Asean has many forums with other countries, such as Australia, China, India, Japan, Russia and the US, he added.
This enables Asean to be the central platform on which regional discussions take place on economy, security, climate and international cooperation.
“Asean benefits from a stable (and) secure region, and contributes to a stable and secure region.” This, he added, is key to Singapore as a small country.
Yet, this stability cannot be taken for granted, he warned. There is no guarantee that the region will remain conflict-free in the next 20 or 30 years, especially given the current tense external environment.
“Regional resilience for South-east Asia means Asean,” said PM Lee. “We have to keep on building this up, contributing to it and playing our part, even though we are a very small member of Asean.”
Yet, while Singapore is sometimes described as a bridge between the East and West, PM Lee said: “I would hesitate to adopt that and treat that as the way we describe ourselves.”
Rather, Singapore is “just trying to protect our interests” and strikes up relationships with countries with which it can make a common cause.
“If we can be helpful in putting up ideas which can bridge different positions and move a little closer towards an outcome… we are very happy to do that,” he said.
