Can small states contribute to a rules-based order in cyberspace?

A rules-based order truly exists only when all states – large and small – subscribe to it. The international community should welcome small states which can and are increasingly shaping the agenda of international digital and cyber discussions.

For small states like Singapore, it is in our interests to develop a cyberspace that is rules-based, interoperable and secure. PHOTO: ST FILE
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There is an old African proverb that says when elephants fight, the grass suffers.

In the context of US-China contestation, small countries - the proverbial grass - do not want to be put in a position where they have to choose sides. That the elephants are clashing most acutely in the digital domain is causing consternation, because all countries - large and small, developed and developing - are benefiting immensely from digitalisation and do not want the digital domain to be viewed as a zero-sum game.

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