Singapore must be able to say ‘no’ to US, China to preserve trust: foreign minister
Singapore says it must be able to say ‘no’ to US, China to preserve trust
Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan says Singapore must maintain trust with Washington and Beijing without becoming a proxy for either
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Singapore occupies a “peculiarly sensitive existential point” as it seeks to retain strategic options amid a great power rivalry, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan has said, doubling down on the city state’s stance of refusing to take sides.
He also warned that the global landscape would remain unsettled if China and the United States failed to address their respective domestic issues.
Speaking at the Milken Institute Asia Summit 2026 in Singapore on Wednesday, Balakrishnan identified maintaining trust with both Washington and Beijing – whose relationship was in a “difficult phase” – as a key challenge.
The city state had to assure both superpowers that it would remain useful without serving as a proxy for either, he said.
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