Vivian Balakrishan: Singapore will not be used in war between superpowers

SINGAPORE: At the CNBC CONVERGE LIVE event in Singapore on Wednesday (April 22), Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan was questioned about Singapore’s relationship with the two global superpowers, China and the United States.

“Are you being forced into a world where you need to choose between China or the United States?” asked CNBC’s Steve Sedgwick.

Dr Balakrishnan was ready with an answer. “To quote Mr Lee Kuan Yew, ‘We will refuse to choose.’ The way we conduct our affairs is that we assess what is in Singapore’s long-term national interests. And if we have to say no to Washington, or Beijing, or anyone else, we don’t flinch from that. 

“But they will also know that when we say no, it’s not at the behest of the other party. We will be useful, but we will not be made use of,” he said.

The minister added that there is an upside to be looked to after a crisis ends, which is why Singapore is careful not to do “anything crazy,” but maintain trust and credibility.

When Mr Sedgwick asked if there are concerns that what Iran is doing at the Strait of Hormuz in exacting a toll from transiting ships may be replicated in other bodies of water, making it “a privilege rather than a right.”

Dr Balakrishnan acknowledged this as a meaningful risk, but added that steps are being taken to prevent this. He said that the littoral states of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS), which are Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, are all aware that it is in each country’s best interest to keep the SOMS open, and are therefore strategically aligned.

Secondly, Singapore has been clear that in keeping with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), it will not participate in attempts to close, interdict, or impose any tolls for maritime traffic “in our neighbourhood.”

Mr Sedgwick followed this up by asking if Singapore feels increasing pressure to pick a side between the superpowers amid the current geopolitical situation.

“Not yet,” said Dr Balakrishnan.

On another note, the minister sounded much less sanguine concerning the possibility of escalating tensions between the US and China in the Pacific. He warned that if a war were to occur between the two countries, “what you are seeing in the Strait of Hormuz will be a dry run.” /TISG

Read also: Why Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand negotiated for safe passage through Strait of Hormuz, but Singapore won’t