"Despite the limitations of being a small country, we cannot be passive bystanders in the evolving landscape," Singaporean Prime Minister Wong Siew Kiang recently told citizens in a speech.

Following Singaporean Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong's recent comments on the so-called "reciprocal tariffs" by the US side, Singaporean Prime Minister Wong Siew Kiang delivered a lengthy speech on this issue. Compared to Lee Hsien Loong's remarks, Wong's discourse contained more details about Singapore's responses.

In the diplomatic field, Wong stated that in the future, apart from focusing on Southeast Asia and strengthening ties with the EU, Singapore will invest more resources in the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, enhance its global partner network, and actively participate in global public governance.

It is worth noting that Singapore will hold a general election on May 3rd, which can also be seen as Wong's stance on the campaign and the future. Zhou Shixin, director of the Southeast Asia Research Center at the Shanghai Institute for International Studies, told Yicai Global that the People's Action Party led by Wong has years of governing experience and is expected to continue leading Singapore after this election.

He further analyzed that under the current complex and changing international situation, the continued governance of the People's Action Party is beneficial to both Singapore and regional stability.

Promoting ASEAN Integration

Although small in size, Singapore plays an important role in the regional organization ASEAN. ASEAN is essentially Singapore's "ace card."

When talking about Singapore's response strategies, Wong said that ASEAN remains the core of Singapore's foreign policy. He particularly quoted a statement made by early leader Rajaratnam when ASEAN was founded: "If we do not unite, we will eventually be picked off one by one."

He said that in a divided world, regional unity is more important than ever before. If ASEAN can maintain unity and initiative, it will help all ten member states deal with geopolitical tensions and maintain collective influence.

By the end of 2024, ASEAN's population exceeded 600 million, with a GDP nearing $4 trillion, making it the fifth largest economy in the world overall. With accelerated industrialization and digital transformation, ASEAN has become one of the more stable regions for global economic growth in recent years. The ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office, headquartered in Singapore, predicted last year that ASEAN's economic growth rate would reach 4.9% in 2025.

Wong said that ASEAN economic integration has made significant progress, with basic zero-tariffs achieved internally, though not yet 100%, leaving room for improvement. At the same time, he hopes to complete negotiations on the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) as soon as possible.

The Malaysian government, which will assume the rotating presidency of ASEAN in 2025, has expressed its intention to conclude negotiations on the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement within 2025, paving the way for regional digital technology integration. The digital economy has become a new engine for economic development in ASEAN countries. The World Economic Forum predicts that by 2030, the scale of ASEAN's digital economy could reach $1 trillion.

Strengthening Global Partner Networks

In terms of external relations, besides hoping that ASEAN will upgrade free trade agreements with major partners such as China, South Korea, and India, Wong also hopes to focus on building relationships with the EU.

He analyzed that the EU has been Singapore's dialogue partner since 1977. Within ASEAN, the EU has successively signed free trade agreements with Singapore and Vietnam and initiated negotiations with other countries. He hopes that ASEAN and the EU can promote a free trade agreement between them, which could unlock the potential of this market of over 1 billion people.

On the same day Wong announced Singapore's upcoming election on April 15th, he also had a conversation with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Von der Leyen said that Singapore is a like-minded partner for the EU, adding that "with the bilateral digital trade agreement about to be signed, this partnership is continuously developing."

Besides deepening relations with the EU, Wong also stated that Singapore needs to expand its relations with new partners. He first focused his attention on the Middle East. He said, "In the Middle East, Gulf countries' economies are growing rapidly and see themselves as important geopolitical players."

Wong also said, "We will double our efforts to develop relations with Africa and Latin America." He said that Singapore currently has only two embassies on the entire African continent and one in Latin America, which is insufficient. These regions have immense potential, but due to distance or unfamiliarity, Singapore has not yet fully engaged with them.

"Singapore may be an island nation, but we cannot adopt an island mentality," Wong reminded. "The old international order is gradually disintegrating, and a new order will eventually emerge. This new order will not be shaped by a single superpower, but by multiple countries through action and decision-making. Singapore should be flexible and take charge of its own destiny."

(This article comes from Yicai Global)

Original Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7495314808485446155/

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