Decision to join any multilateral grouping must be clearly defined by Singapore’s interests: Vivian

SINGAPORE – Any decision for Singapore to join international groupings must be carefully considered and clearly defined by national interests, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said on Nov 11.

Noting that such groups have formed in recent years, he added that this is part of a response to the transition from a unipolar world with a single major power, to a multipolar one.

“Countries are hedging through these different configurations amidst a more divided and uncertain global environment,” he said. “We will keep an open mind on all these new constructs, and we will continue to watch developments closely insofar as the impact on Singapore.”

Dr Balakrishnan highlighted newer groupings that have emerged recently. These include the Quad that was restarted in 2017, Aukus that was created in 2021, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) in 2022 and the expansion of Brics.

The Quad, Aukus and IPEF all include the United States as a key member, while the Brics group was formed to create a counterweight to Western influence. 

In October 2024, Brics announced four new members and 13 new partner countries. Among its new partners are Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

What is important for Singapore is that emerging arrangements, especially where they intersect with the region, do not undermine Asean centrality, stressed Dr Balakrishnan. Such arrangements should also support an open and inclusive regional architecture, and promote a rules-based order based on international law. 

“In particular, we want Asean to continue to play a central convening role, and for our region to have the centre of gravity, which brings all the key players together to find common ground and to harness Asean’s full economic potential,” he said.

He was responding to Workers’ Party MP Gerald Giam (Aljunied GRC) in Parliament on how Singapore assesses the increasing alignment of Asean and Asia-Pacific countries with security and economic blocs dominated by major powers. Mr Giam had also asked about Singapore’s own approach to alignment with these blocs.

Dr Balakrishnan reiterated that Singapore does not take sides but upholds principles, even if this means having to say no to close partners or superpowers from time to time. “This longstanding, consistent and principled approach to foreign policy has served us well and has afforded us the strategic manoeuvring space,” he added.

In line with these principles, Singapore has joined and played a facilitative role in groupings such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, IPEF and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, said Dr Balakrishnan. While Singapore is not currently a member of certain groupings, it shares excellent ties with individual members, he said.

Mr Giam then asked how sustainable it was to maintain Singapore’s stance of not choosing sides in the current geopolitical landscape when more countries in the region are doing the opposite. He also asked if the country anticipates the need for closer ties with specific blocs to safeguard its interests while avoiding overdependence on any one major power.

In response, Dr Balakrishnan said that the posture of not taking sides but upholding principles is the “most sensible position” for Singapore and is essential, given the geography and Singapore’s economic and strategic role. “We do best when we can engage everyone, not by aiming to take sides, or be a vassal state, or be a proxy state, which, in fact, I think will be a recipe for disaster and invite the re-creation of South-east Asia as an arena for proxy wars,” he said.

He added that for Singapore to take this position, it needs domestic cohesion and consensus – including in the House – as it has had for the past 59 years, and must continue to do so.

“Because if foreign powers believe that they can erode our resolve by dividing us, they will. There’s no doubt about that, and all the more so because, in fact, all the major civilisations and religions are represented here,” he said.