Stability remains a priority for the new leader of Singapore
Singapore is a beacon of stability. Its carefully planned and orchestrated leadership handover is a reminder of that. Lawrence Wong is only the fourth prime minister of the city state since it declared independence in 1965. It is such exceptional continuity amid external turbulence that has focused attention. There is no reason to expect any disruptive movement in Singapore’s position or the way it sees the world.
Foreign policy objectives will not change under Wong. Priorities are stability and continued improvement in China-United States relations, and stronger ties with both and with other partners. Advancement of the city’s interests is paramount.
As a result Singapore has generally been a neutral force in a region sometimes troubled by internal and external conflict. In that regard Wong’s inaugural speech conveyed no illusions about the challenges ahead. Singapore, he said, was dealing with a messier, riskier, more violent world in which the great powers were competing to shape a new, yet undefined global order. The transition is riddled with geopolitical tensions, protectionism and rampant nationalism.
Singapore has maintained a very pragmatic approach. Regionally it is a Chinese-majority state in a Muslim-majority region. It has been able to keep peaceful relations with neighbours amid strong ties with China and yet has a unique security relationship with the US, which Wong makes very clear is not an ally but a security partner. Not just optically but realistically Singapore has positioned hosting and provision of resources for US naval operations not as a base but as a military relationship – a slightly lower order of military engagement.
The People’s Action Party government that Wong now leads prides itself on running a meritocratic, multiracial system. But while acknowledging these values along with good leadership, stability and long-term planning, Wong said his team’s governing style would be different in the face of advancing technology and an ageing society. He vowed “never to settle for the status quo”. Given that a number of senior colleagues remain in the picture at top level he can depend on stability and continuity.
Singapore remains one of the biggest investors in China and a strong trade partner. President Xi Jinping said last year that bilateral ties served as a model for other countries. Indeed, the choice of the city state to host the 2015 summit between Xi and then Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou reflected Beijing’s political trust and goodwill. Given that Wong has had a relatively short run-up to the top post he may need to nurture and develop relationships with key emerging Chinese leaders. Meanwhile, Hong Kong and Singapore can expect to continue a relationship as financial and regional hubs that is both competitive and complementary.