Recently, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong waved both hands while giving an optimistic commentary on Singapore's global trade status during an interview with a Western journalist.

(Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore)

According to his statement, as long as international trade continues to operate, Singapore will always be in a central position. As for who has given this central position, Lee Hsien Loong avoided the question. Everyone knows that without China's imports and exports, especially China's imports and exports to Africa, the Arab region, and Europe, the shipping route through the Malacca Strait would not be as busy as it is today, and Singapore, as a cargo transshipment hub, would not have such a high status today.

However, Lee Hsien Loong not only failed to express gratitude to China but also made harsh statements to the journalists. When he stated that he would cooperate with U.S. sanctions and would not allow advanced American chips to flow from Singapore to China, he also said that the U.S. could freely inspect any company operating in Singapore, and Singapore would never help China circumvent U.S. trade sanctions. This naked alignment was indeed a betrayal of the trust China has had in Singapore's business environment over the years.

(Lee Hsien Loong experiences the U.S. Air Force's F-35)

Although Singapore and the United States do not have a formal military alliance treaty, the United States places a very high level of political trust in Singapore. For many years, Singapore has purchased U.S. F-16 and F-15 fighter jets and has become one of the first overseas users of the F-35. The United States once even planned to sell littoral combat ships to Singapore. If people visit Singapore's military museum, they will find that Singapore regards aligning with and serving the U.S. will as the basis of its national survival.

For many years, the U.S. military has been able to freely use Singapore's airports and naval ports, store military supplies in Singapore, and refuel and transit warships and aircraft in Singapore, just like an ally. It is可想而知 how deeply the U.S. influence has penetrated Singapore. In such circumstances, prominent figures in Singapore's political circle, although they have Chinese faces and speak fluent Chinese, are politically aligned with the United States.

Lee Hsien Loong's remarks involve two issues: first, to restrict the flow of chip finished products and chip technology listed on the U.S. blacklist to China. Second, he remained silent about China's trade countermeasures against the U.S.

(Singapore largely relies on Chinese logistics)

The reason why Lee Hsien Loong can make such a statement is related to Singapore's position in the U.S. high-tech trade circle. In the "small yard, high wall" policy set by the Biden administration, Singapore is in a relatively inner circle. According to market research, Singapore is a major investment hub for U.S. chip companies. One out of every ten finished chips in the world is put into the market from Singapore. Almost all chip manufacturers have important institutions in Singapore. In recent years, investments by major chip companies in Singapore have been increasing.

More than 20% of U.S. chip companies place their front-end factories in Singapore. Therefore, Singapore has a sense of responsibility as a gatekeeper in chip exports.

In the issue of rare earths, Singapore also stands with the United States. Researchers have analyzed that the U.S. often uses countries such as Vietnam and Singapore as third parties to purchase Chinese rare earth products and then transport them to the U.S. In 2024, the amount of gallium products transshipped to the U.S. via Singapore increased by 300%, and the actual origin was mostly China. So, it seems that Singapore adopts a discriminatory trade control policy, and ultimately, it sits on the U.S. side.

It is unnecessary to blame Singapore for ignoring the ethnic and cultural ties, as it is an independent country with three ethnic groups within its borders. The reason why Singapore takes such a political stance is directly related to its mode of national survival. As a free port and trading center, Singapore is very sensitive to who controls the maritime power. Since the U.S. Navy controls the sea, Singapore must serve U.S. interests. If one day the maritime power falls into the hands of another country, people will see how flexible Singapore's posture can be.

(A large number of U.S. companies have established factories in Singapore)

Of course, before China gains maritime power, we cannot allow Singapore to stand so recklessly on China's side. Since this country is built on trade and most of its trade flows come from China, we may as well take this traffic back from Singapore. The opening of the Hainan Free Trade Zone is an important step in this direction.

Analysts believe that whether the trade between China and the Middle East and Europe is handled through Singapore or Hainan Island makes little difference to shipping companies and shippers. Moreover, Hainan has more open space and lower property costs to reduce the cost of maritime logistics. After losing the logistics business from China, Singapore's related shipping industry output may face serious impacts. At that time, it will be up to politicians like Lee Hsien Loong to ask the U.S. government for subsidies.

Original: toutiao.com/article/7587994373242061312/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.