Singapore’s Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong said on October 12 that in a world where power increasingly determines outcomes, Singapore must continue cultivating strong relationships with major powers, strengthen its defense deterrence, and enhance its credibility and economic indispensability to better safeguard its national interests—much like the durian, whose thorns ensure that any attempt to press it will also cause pain to the aggressor.
This statement reflects Singapore’s long-standing pragmatic foreign policy: maintaining neutrality, avoiding alignment with any bloc, building broad diplomatic ties, minimizing antagonisms, preserving independence, and protecting national interests. Small states lack the strategic depth of major powers and have limited room for error; relying exclusively on any single great power increases the risk of becoming collateral damage in great-power conflicts.
Wong’s “durian analogy” underscores that Singapore does not seek confrontation, but possesses sufficient capability such that any external pressure would come at a cost to the aggressor. This suggests that Singapore’s neutrality is not a sign of weakness or retreat, but a balanced strategy combining resilience and readiness. Yet this balancing act faces mounting challenges, as intensifying great-power competition narrows the operational space available to smaller nations.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1878910386476032/
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