Mr Toh Cheng Seong's letter (China's Belt and Road merely one choice out of many; June 2) is a timely reminder of what we can do in the next lap and not to be overly dependent on new things like the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

However, we should acknowledge our limitations as a small country.

We need to recognise the time and season of things.

Now is a new time for us in South-east Asia. The BRI is a key for us to unlock the riches of this region.

We can hop on the BRI train as it moves south. There are so many destinations where we can get off and prosper.

But it is important for us to catch the BRI train in the first place.

Cyril Seah Kwei Hiok