Transcript of Minister (Foreign Affairs) Dr Vivian Balakrishnan’s Interview On Channel NewsAsia “Singapore Tonight”, 3 March 2025

Syahida Othman (CNA): For more on Singapore's foreign policy positions, we're now joined by Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan. Minister, welcome to the programme.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: Thank you. Good to be here with you.

Syahida Othman (CNA): You spoke at length today about the changing world order and this shift from multilateralism to unilateralism. What role can small states like Singapore play in maintaining this multilateral, rules-based order in this increasingly unpredictable and very challenging geopolitical environment?

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: I think the first point is awareness. We are at the end of an era — an era where the liberal world order brought peace and prosperity and gave enormous opportunities, especially for a tiny city-state like us that is dependent on trade, investments and a node in a global network. So, my first point was — this is the end of an era.

We do not quite know yet what the new world order will be. We certainly are worried about the emergence of the ‘law of the jungle’ and of the world splitting up into blocs, because if that happens, that is bad news for small states. It means, by definition, the loss of choice and the loss of autonomy.

But, having said that, whilst I was trying to strike a note of caution, I wanted to make sure that we do not end up being pessimistic. If you take a careful look at Singapore and what we've achieved after 60 years, we are actually in a position of strength. The fact that we have abundant fiscal reserves, that our budget is in surplus, and that we are not dependent on aid, means we are not open to being pressured, bullied, or extortion.

Second, the fact that over six decades of continuous investment in defence — and I do not just mean investment in the financial sense, but National Service and the support for National Service — it means we can defend ourselves. We stand on our own two feet. We are not dependent on any white knight to come in and rescue us. That gives us the wherewithal and the gumption to stand up to defend what is ours.

I also emphasised that the most important is our own unity. We are diverse people, but we have forged a Singaporean identity after 60 years — an identity which must have space for diversity and for expressing the diversity. But even as we express our diversity, we can still find areas of confluence and we can do constructive work together.

I gave the example of the tragedy in Gaza. People may have different opinions, (even) strong opinions, but we are all agreed that this is a humanitarian disaster. We can all do our bit to relieve the suffering. The fact that our RSAF is delivering the assistance that Singaporeans, out of the goodness of our hearts, are delivering to the Palestinians, is another case in point. It's the unique Singapore model. So don't lose hope. There are opportunities in a time of crisis, and if we are smart, alert, and agile, we can seize those opportunities.

Syahida Othman (CNA): You were talking about unity in diversity, and as you mentioned, Singaporeans are becoming increasingly vocal in their opinions on our national positions.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: Which is a good thing,

Syahida Othman (CNA): Which is a good thing, especially when it comes to the Israel-Hamas conflict. But how will the government continue to manage these diverse views without compromising our foreign policy objectives?

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: First, to listen. It's good for everyone to listen to a contrarian view, and then identify areas where there is confluence, and more importantly, don't just get angry — get active. Do something useful. And that's what we've been doing. And I think Singapore has passed this test, that this is a difficult issue that could so easily have polarised and divided us, but we have avoided that fate. We've been able to get together and do some good.

Syahida Othman (CNA): When it comes to the US and China, can we expect a change in the way Singapore has been engaging the two superpowers amid their strategic rivalry to maintain our relevance and our credibility to both sides?

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: The first point is it’s going to be more difficult, because obviously there is a lack of strategic trust and the difficulties in how they get along. The second point is that we still have major stakes in our relationship with both these partners. America is our largest foreign investor, and our largest trading partner for services. We have investments in America. China is our largest trading partner for goods. And if you ask the Chinese, they will say we are their largest foreign investor.

So, we have real equities at stake.

The third point then is that, if they don't get along, how do we fit in? The first thing I would say is we want to be relevant, and we want to be useful, but you don't want to be crushed in between two conflicting superpowers. The way we do it is to play it straight. We tell them that we are not going to act at the behest of an adversary or rival against their interests. What we do with you and what we do with the other party will be open and transparent. Everyone can see what we are doing, and that is where it comes to the activities of companies in Singapore. The reason companies want to come to Singapore is because we are open, we are predictable, we are reliable, we are trustworthy. But that also means we need to make sure companies don't use their association with us to get a short-term commercial advantage by engaging in evasive or dubious business practices. High hygiene levels are important because the Singapore paradigm of doing business is openness and trust, and that's critical to our value proposition.

So, given the way the superpower relationship is unfolding, I believe there is still a role for an open, honest, reliable, trustworthy partner. And I use the word partner because it is a two-way relationship: the investments, the trade, the interactions. We have no intention of being a vassal state, of being a tributary, of being dependent. We believe in interdependence. We believe in mutual benefit. Now, to the extent that a tiny city state can engage in that kind of relationship with big powers is an enormous challenge, and I've said in Parliament, we will never be their largest partner, trading partner or investor, but we can be the most reliable, and the most dependable partner. And I believe we can play this game (in a) straight, open, honest and transparent (way). We still have a role to play.

Syahida Othman (CNA): While maintaining openness and trust as well.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: Absolutely. Openness and trust are critical.

Syahida Othman (CNA): We appreciate your insights, Minister. Thank you so much for coming in tonight. We were speaking with Minister for Foreign Dr Vivian Balakrishnan. Thank you.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: Thank you.

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