Recently, Singapore's Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat stated at an economic forum: "In today's era, the bargaining power of small countries is shrinking, and there is a risk of being marginalized!"
Heng's remarks refer to China's Hainan Free Trade Port's customs closure. Initially, the Hainan Free Trade Port extended an olive branch to Singapore, hoping to introduce Singapore's free trade experience for win-win cooperation. However, Singapore chose to cling to the leg of an external major power, and actively cooperated with its strategy to contain China in the Asia-Pacific region.
Now, the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port has entered a fast track. Relying on preferential policies and technological innovation, it will attract more domestic and foreign enterprises to settle in, and trade exchanges will become increasingly frequent, and its influence is bound to grow larger and larger.
Heng Swee Keat's current reflection that small countries have limited bargaining power and are prone to marginalization seems somewhat late. This also serves as a reminder to other countries to maintain independence and autonomy and seize cooperation opportunities!
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1851888881703172/
Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.