Singapore seeks stronger China ties amid uncertainty over Trump tariffs
PM Wong calls for 'new frontier for cooperation' with Beijing
SINGAPORE -- Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Tuesday, as part of the city-state's efforts to broaden collaboration with the world's second-largest economy amid ongoing uncertainty over trade talks with the U.S.
"In this time of global turbulence and uncertainty, I believe the China-Singapore relationship is more important than before," Wong said during his meeting with Xi, speaking in English. "We can work together to establish closer ties and also to cooperate in regional and multilateral platforms to continue to strengthen multilateralism in the rules-based global order."
Both leaders acknowledged the volatile state of world as they mark the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Singapore and China this year.
"In the face of the current complex and turbulent international situation, China is willing to strengthen cooperation with Singapore," Xi said, speaking in Mandarin. He went on to say that China aims to "tighten the bonds of collaboration and work together to meet challenges and bring greater well-being to the people of both countries."
In particular, Xi called on both sides to promote the Belt and Road Initiative by creating "landmark achievements" in areas such as the digital and green economy, as well as artificial intelligence. The president stressed that China and Singapore should approach their relationship from a strategic and long-term perspective, ensuring that its course "remains steady and its momentum sustained."
A statement from the Singaporean Foreign Affairs Ministry said that the two leaders lauded the "positive momentum" in bilateral cooperation and expressed support for deepening official and institutional links.
Wong's five-day tour began on Sunday and marks his first official trip to China since the ruling People's Action Party secured victory in Singapore's general election in May. The visit also comes about a year after Wong was sworn in as the country's new leader, succeeding Lee Hsien Loong, the son of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
According to a transcript of an interview conducted earlier this month with Chinese state broadcaster CCTV and released by Wong's office, he aims to pursue "closer ties" with Chinese leaders including Xi and Premier Li Qiang, while advocating for multilateralism in the midst of global economic challenges, such as U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping trade tariffs.
Despite the U.S. running a trade surplus with Singapore -- the only Southeast Asian country in such a position -- Washington has imposed a 10% baseline tariff on the city-state. Singapore is currently negotiating for concessions, but no firm deal has been reached.
"Now we are looking at a new frontier for cooperation where the cooperation may be wider," Wong said. "We are always upgrading, improving, trying to find new opportunities to cooperate and to be responsive to the needs of our times."
Singapore, like its Southeast Asian neighbors and China, has been grappling with Trump's protectionist trade policies, which threaten to stifle growth in export-dependent countries. The U.S., for its part, is seeking to rectify what it views as harmful trade deficits with certain nations.
China, which remains a key Trump target, reached a framework agreement with his administration in London earlier in June aimed at easing trade tensions. However, Washington has continued to impose tariffs of up to 55% on Chinese goods.
As the U.S. is increasingly seen as leveraging its power to pursue a path of unilateralism fueled by national interests, both China and Singapore have been seeking to strengthen external partnerships in an effort to counter this trend.
China's Xi pursued ties with Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia during a visit to Southeast Asia in April, although he did not make a stop in nearby Singapore.
In Wong's CCTV interview, he hailed economic zone projects in China as "platforms for wider cooperation."
Singapore has collaborated with China on the Suzhou Industrial Park, a government-level initiative aimed at driving development in sectors such as digital technology and pharmaceuticals.
Dylan M.H. Loh, an assistant professor of foreign policy at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, said the city-state is eager to "reinforce" the "All-Round High-Quality Future-Oriented Partnership" with China, agreed in 2023, signaling an upgrade in bilateral relations.
"Intense U.S.-China competition is the obvious challenge," Loh told Nikkei Asia. He expects Singapore and China to "certainly stress and double down on the need for international cooperation to address global challenges, such as climate change, pandemics, economic fragmentation, especially in view of Trump's tariffs."
In a bilateral meeting on Monday, Wong and Chinese Premier Li vowed to deepen their nations' partnership in areas such as the green and digital economies, as well as financial services. Both leaders also witnessed the signing of deals, including cooperation on developing legal talent and data exchanges between the two countries' intellectual property offices.