Singapore’s Lawrence Wong seeks stronger ties with Japan amid global tensions

Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has kicked off his visit to Japan, where he is expected to address strategies with counterpart Sanae Takaichi on enhancing cooperation against a backdrop of economic uncertainty brought on by the Iran war. Both leaders are likely to tread cautiously in discussions to avoid antagonising any superpower, analysts say. The three-day trip, which began on Tuesday, marks Wong’s first official visit to Japan since he became Singapore’s prime minister in May 2024. In an opinion piece published in Nikkei on Tuesday, Wong said both nations could strengthen their “already robust” economic ties and explore collaboration in areas such as artificial intelligence and the digital economy. Singapore and Japan’s existing partnership provided “firm foundations for navigating this changed world”, which Wong described as one “marked by intense uncertainty, fragmentation and disruption”. “As like-minded countries with a shared commitment to free trade and rules-based multilateralism, there is much more that we can do together,” he said. Wong detailed the mutually beneficial partnership on the economic front. Data from the Singapore Department of Statistics showed Japan was among the top five sources of foreign direct investment into Singapore, recording S$196 billion (US$155 billion) in 2024. In 2023, Singapore was the highest contributor to Tokyo’s FDI with 839 billion yen (US$5.28 billion), according to the Japan External Trade Organisation. Wong said the bilateral relationship could also drive cooperation between Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), and advance priorities such as the region’s power grid project that aimed to enhance energy security and sustainability. Kei Koga, an associate professor at the Public Policy and Global Affairs Programme at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, said both countries could conclude several agreements to strengthen cooperation in areas such as AI and free trade. “Japan is likely to invoke the Free and Open Indo-Pacific framework, which aims to maintain and enhance a rules-based international order, to advance cooperation with Singapore,” he said. Both countries faced the risk of being caught in the crosshairs of great rivalries, having anchored their economy and security to superpowers in the past, Koga said, adding that the meeting was likely to be viewed as a way to mitigate such risks through network building. Japan and the US are long-standing allies, with defence chiefs of both nations reaffirming their “unshaken” alliance in January. While Singapore has deep economic ties with both the US and China, it has consistently maintained a neutral stance, stressing that it will not act as a proxy for either power. Analysts say strategies for navigating the instability caused by the US-Iran conflict are also likely to be on the agenda. The high oil prices were a “common concern” for both economies, which were heavily dependent on open access to air and sea routes across the region, said Ja Ian Chong, associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore. Koga noted that the two nations appeared to have similar views on the ongoing diplomatic row between China and Japan, and the Middle East conflict. “Both may agree on the importance of cultivating a forward-looking relationship between Japan and China, while also recognising that developments in Iran could become an important trigger shaping the future direction of US strategic focus,” he said. But recent events may spur both leaders to be more cautious, observers say. “As a close US ally, Japan is unlikely to want to criticise Washington. Given how Singapore is now being targeted by the Trump administration for unfair trade practices means that it too would want to tread carefully,” Chong said. The US last week announced trade investigations into major trading partners, including Singapore, which Washington said could lead to new tariffs. Wong was also likely to be aware of how Beijing could perceive his actions, after his previous remarks on the China-Japan spat drew criticism from Chinese online users, Chong said. The row began in November when Takaichi suggested that Tokyo could respond militarily to a potential attack on Taiwan. This prompted Beijing to demand that she retract her remarks and retaliate with a pressure campaign that has included flight cancellations and curbs on exports of dual-use items. Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including the US, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Washington is opposed to any attempt to take the self-governed island by force and is committed to supplying it with weapons. Tensions have yet to show signs of easing. On March 8, Beijing’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi criticised Takaichi’s remarks when asked about ties with Tokyo during a press conference, and warned against any attempt to thwart reunification with Taiwan. During the Bloomberg New Economy Forum last November, the Singapore leader had voiced hope that both parties could resolve “very complex issues” such as territorial disputes and historical wars and de-escalate tensions. He also said Southeast Asia supported Japan to take on a bigger security role in the region, a point he reinforced in his opinion piece published on Monday. “Singapore has long taken the view that Japan can play a larger role in promoting peace and stability in the region. At the same time, we recognise that historical experiences continue to shape perspectives in some countries,” Wong wrote. Koga noted that Wong’s statement in the opinion piece was more nuanced, and recognised that some states continued to harbour distrust against Japan due to historical wounds. But he said Wong continued to reflect Singapore’s consistent political position towards Japan. “Singapore still sees Japan as having a greater role to play in security affairs, which could be beneficial, particularly because Japan has steadily built trust with regional countries.” Singapore and Japan mark the 60th anniversary of their diplomatic relations this year. Wong said the 60-year partnership was already strong and put them in a good position to collaborate on an “exciting new chapter”. Later this month, the Singapore leader is slated to attend the Boao Forum, a high-level platform for political and business leaders, in Hainan, China.

Singapore’s Lawrence Wong seeks stronger ties with Japan amid global tensions

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Wong and Takaichi are expected to discuss economic stability and AI, and tread cautiously amid superpower rivalries, analysts say

Wong and Takaichi are expected to discuss economic stability and AI, and tread cautiously amid superpower rivalries, analysts say