Transcript of Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan's Media Wrap-Up Interview at the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting and Related Meetings, Manila, the Philippines, 23 July 2026

Minister (FA) Vivian Balakrishnan: It's been a very busy set of ASEAN meetings. Not only with all the ASEAN Members and all the Foreign Ministers – except, there was no political representation from Myanmar; those are our own internal rules – but there was also very good representation from ASEAN's Dialogue Partners. For instance, the US, China, Australia, New Zealand, India, Japan, South Korea were all present at the Foreign Ministers’ level. So this was a good set of meetings.

Just to give you a general sense of the issues that were discussed. The situation in the Strait of Hormuz, and the recent escalation, including the attacks on Saudi tankers in the Red Sea, highlighted the fragility of global supply chains. This has impact, certainly on ASEAN, in terms of energy, in terms of fertiliser, in terms of food. That obviously was one central concern. But beyond the immediate impact of the conflict in the Middle East, the secondary concern was the impact on international law, in particular the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the right of transit passage through Straits Used for International Navigation. I am glad to report that amongst all the speeches made by a very wide range of Foreign Ministers, everyone doubled down on the need to comply with international law, to maintain the primacy of UNCLOS and freedom of navigation and overflight. So, the secondary concern was compliance with international law.

The third area of concern was a more prospective one: everyone's acutely aware that the future lies in the technological revolution, AI, energy and biotech. I would say the concerns there – particularly in the case where you now have not only a technological revolution, but contestation between the two superpowers – well, for the rest of us, the primary concern is access. Can we get access to the technologies of the future? Can we internally commoditise AI, energy and biotech so that it can create jobs and it can improve the lives and livelihoods of our people?

There was, of course, inevitably some discussion on Myanmar, but you know we just had a meeting about a week ago, so fortunately this did not suck up all the bandwidth in the room. All in all, it was a good meeting, good representation, good, robust, candid discussions both dealing with immediate problems and looking forward to the future.

Mara Cepeda (Straits Times): President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s visit to Singapore last week was partly seen as an opportunity to ensure continuity as Singapore takes over the chairmanship of ASEAN in 2027. What do you see as the one or two priorities?

Minister:  Well, he had a very good meeting with my Prime Minister, and as you said, the Philippines has been Chair of ASEAN during quite a tumultuous period with the war, supply chain disruptions, contestation between superpowers. I must give full credit to President Marcos, as well as to the Foreign Secretary, for steering ASEAN through quite a delicate situation. Yes, it was a good chance for him to have a good discussion with our Prime Minister, even as we plan for next year when Singapore is Chair. I'm not ready to give you full details, but I think certain themes are quite clear. Given the state of the world, we need to maintain ASEAN Centrality. We need to try to build up ASEAN resilience. The best way to enhance resilience is work together, integrate our economies, to make sure that we do not panic and we do not put obstacles or restrictions in each other's way. We continue to lower tariff and non-tariff barriers, and equally important, continue to make sure ASEAN remains relevant and able to engage across a wide spectrum of partners in the world. I see that as the central preoccupation for ASEAN, and even next year when we lead it. So think about resilience, think about integration, think about widening our network, strengthening that net, which hopefully will give us more stability, even as we confront a more uncertain, more volatile future.

Elyn Hoi (LHZB): Which issue or theme stands out most across the Post-Ministerial Conferences with ASEAN’s Dialogue Partners, particularly with the US and China?

Moderator: There’s one more question Minister.

Sabrina Ng (CNA TV): We saw that ASEAN engaged all its major Dialogue Partners this week, including the US, China, and Russia. So, how does Singapore navigate these relationships while preserving ASEAN's neutrality and Centrality?

Minister: Let's deal with the elephant in the room – the US and China contestation. I think to their credit, both of them are trying to approach this in a careful, deliberate, and constructive way. In particular, I would say I'm glad that at least at this point in time, neither of them are forcing us to choose sides. They know ASEAN's priorities, which is still to develop our economies, to integrate and gain access to the latest technologies, and that we are still interested in free trade, in giving more opportunities to our people. I would say there was a measured tone, even with the backdrop of contestation between the superpowers.

With the middle powers and the other Dialogue Partners, again there was the sense that we know this is a world in transition – from a unipolar world to a multipolar world. We don't yet know the full shape of what is to come. We know this is a dangerous phase, but again, the sense in the room is that this is a time to be careful. This is a time to work together. This is a time, particularly for the middle powers and the rest of us in ASEAN, to affirm international law, the habits of cooperation, to work on the basis of multilateralism, and not to resort to unilateral or coercive measures. The tone was positive and yet it wasn't all just sweet platitudes. There were candid discussions, both officially and in the unofficial discussions which occur beyond the sight of the cameras.

Leong Wai Kit (CNA TV):  Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s name was mentioned by Thailand as part of an indicator, but [Foreign Minister of Thailand] Sihasak [Phuangketkeow] was very reluctant to use the word “release” and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s name in the same sentence. He was very generic. You, on the other hand, were very specific. So just two parts to it. One, should there even be a ‘middle ground’ when it comes to using Aung San Suu Kyi as a yardstick, and two, how can ASEAN avoid this trap of using Aung San Suu Kyi as a political bargaining chip?

Minister: Well, first, she's not a chip to be bargained over. She's the leader of a political party which clearly enjoys significant support in Myanmar. The second point – actually you are asking as a follow up on our discussion last week. What ASEAN has said is that if there are going to be changes in our engagement, it has to be predicated on measurable progress, that a reasonable person, looking at the parameters, can say “yes, this is positive”. The examples of these parameters: reduce the violence, hopefully even eliminate violence against civilians and vulnerable groups, the release of political prisoners – Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is one of those prisoners – but the purpose of the release is not just release for release's sake, but in order to enable honest-to-goodness conversations, reconciliation and a solution that is Myanmar led and owned by the Myanmar people themselves. Of course, the other parameter which we have asked for repeatedly and emphasised in this set of meetings is that just as ASEAN stands willing and able to provide humanitarian assistance, we want to make sure the assistance reaches everyone who needs it, and it's not filtered on the basis of political affiliation. The parameters are clear. If you ask me, has there been significant progress? Not enough progress, and certainly no progress since last week. So let's not be premature.

Leong Wai Kit (CNA TV):  Just one quick one – is access to Aung San Suu Kyi considered progress?

Minister: I don't want to define it so narrowly. I would say the larger picture is violence stopped. Reconciliation, at least the process, should have begun – and we see the release of political prisoners as a preamble, a prerequisite, for that to happen – and also for ASEAN to be able to reach and to deliver humanitarian assistance wherever it is needed, in Myanmar. So let's wait and see, but as I said, the agenda for this meeting went far beyond Myanmar. The tragedy there is that they are stuck in a dead end, and yet the challenges confronting the rest of us, including Myanmar, and the opportunities for the future, are so significant. We really need to focus our bandwidth, our minds and our political capital on creating the future, and not being stuck in repeating yesterday's wars, and winding up hostility and grievances for which there's no easy solution.

Gracia Yap (Mothership): Given that the Strait of Hormuz is closed again, is the issue of renewable energy more pertinent, and how will Singapore work closely with the ASEAN Member States to ensure that ASEAN remains at the forefront of the digital and green transition?

Minister: The issue of energy and energy resilience for ASEAN has always been there, so it's not new. But what this war in the Middle East has done is that it has elevated the sense of urgency and importance. Here again, ASEAN does not have a say in the resolution of the conflict in the Middle East. We really cannot even say when and how a resolution will come about. But the larger point is this: if you actually do a catalogue of ASEAN's potential energy capacity, not just in fossil fuels – oil and gas, which ASEAN does have – if you look at geothermal, you look at solar, you look at wind, in fact, ASEAN has far more latent energy which requires investment, capital and technology in order to bring to fruition. And when we reach that, we will create a situation where ASEAN is not only more energy resilient, but also more dependent on renewable energy, and therefore also doing our part for a low carbon future. So I would say the opportunity and the need for it has always been there. What recent events have done is to raise the sense of urgency. We are trying to do that, and that's where, again, projects like the ASEAN Power Grid which goes beyond just the laying of cables. It goes beyond the arguments about fees and the technical aspects of the equipment needed. It is to create a sense that we are all better off if we can engage in collective investments, in raising our capacity. It makes us more resilient. It makes us more competitive, and it better prepares us for the future. I think by this stage now, no one is seriously arguing against it. The challenge is execution.

Mara Cepeda (Straits Times): Just one more on your bilateral with Secretary Rubio this morning. Did Singapore make the case that it should be exempt from any future Section 301 measures on the tariffs, given that the US runs a trade surplus with Singapore?

Minister: Well, I had a good and robust discussion with Secretary Rubio. He understands us, he knows Singapore, and he's obviously someone who's got wide experience in both diplomacy and economics. I made the point quite categorically that the US has a trade surplus against us, and in fact it is growing, and on that basis, there really is no technical or economic basis to impose tariffs upon us. Nevertheless, you know as well as I do that the American administration, for its own domestic political reasons, needs to raise tariff revenue.  I'm not going to give you details of my discussion, but I am trying to find a way to make the point that Singapore is not a target of the US – not at all. But we also need to make sure we don't become collateral damage in the overall scheme in which tariffs are going to be raised by the US with all its trading partners. I'm sorry I can't give you details, but I would say we've had a good, candid and honest-to-goodness discussion.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

23 JULY 2026