Singapore PM Lawrence Wong Warns of Increasing US-China Tensions in First Major Policy Address

At his first National Day Rally speech as Singapore's prime minister, Lawrence Wong warned of the negative impacts from the increasingly antagonistic relationship between the US and China. On August 18, Wong said “whichever candidate wins, it is clear that America’s attitude towards China is hardening. Meanwhile, China is convinced that America is seeking to contain it and suppress its rise.”

Singapore has been adept at managing the geopolitical conflict between the world's two major powers. The city state conducts more trade with China than any other country. The US is Singapore's top source of foreign direct investment and military hardware. Singapore has also played a key role in bringing the US and China together by hosting the annual Shangri-La Dialogue where, this year, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met Chinese Minister of National Defense Dong Jun.

But Singapore's balancing act, which has been adopted by other Southeast Asia nations like Indonesia and Malaysia, may prove more difficult in the near future. China has become more assertive in regional security affairs, with Chinese and Philippine ships frequently clashing over China's assertion of claims in the South China Sea. China is also redeveloping Cambodia's Ream Naval Base and using it as a docking port for warships. In the US, as Wong pointed out, both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump take an aggressive stance on China. Trump has promised tariffs of at least 60% on Chinese goods and once said that the US would attack Beijing if China invades Taiwan. For her part, Harris appears to endorse the policies of Biden which included serious export controls on advanced technologies and a pledge to come to Taiwan's defense in the event of a Chinese invasion.

Given Singapore's reliance on trade and efficient global supply chains, Wong is right to note that “in geopolitics, our biggest concern is the intensifying rivalry between America and China.”