Singapore stresses deeper ties with China, US and Europe amid shift in global order
Home Affairs Minister Shanmugam said small nations like Singapore must develop even deeper relationships globally as trade tensions rise
“There are more powers playing the game as it were, as opposed to the time when the Americans held the peace across the world. So that’s changing, and in such a context, small countries like us have to develop even deeper relationships,” said Shanmugam, pointing to China, the United States and Europe.
Shanmugam, who is also coordinating minister for national security, was speaking in an interview at a summit in Singapore that covered trade issues as well as domestic concerns such as a fake news law.
On trade, Shanmugam said the US was an indispensable nation and its policies impact “every country, allies and non-allies alike”, especially for a trade-reliant country like Singapore where external trade is three to four times its gross domestic product.
In the letters, Trump warned that reprisals from countries would draw a like-for-like response.