It is good that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has made an official visit to Germany (PM Lee to visit Germany, attend Asean-EU summit in Brussels, Dec 12).

The warm bilateral relations between both countries date back to the days of founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew and former West German chancellor Helmut Schmidt.

There are more than 2,000 German companies in Singapore, representing industries such as electronics and finance. Germany is Singapore’s largest trading partner in the European Union.

Singapore as a small nation is doing its best to bring the world together. Countries big and small must strive to collaborate, pool their resources and leverage their strengths to maximise limited resources.

The world has shrunk with the advancement of communication technologies and air travel. Countries must take advantage of this by building bridges, not walls.

World leaders must act responsibly and cooperate to give a better life to all.

Harry Ong Heng Poh