Singapore and China looking to work together in new areas like sustainability, digital payments: Gan Kim Yong

HOW US’ STANCE ON CHINA WILL AFFECT SINGAPORE

Mr Gan was also asked about how America’s tough stance on China will affect Singapore’s relationship with superpowers and the wider Southeast Asia region.

On Wednesday (Nov 8), the United States elected its next president Donald Trump, who took an increasingly hawkish stance on China during his first term in office.

Mr Gan said it is in the interest of Singapore, being an open and small economy, to see a stable and peaceful relationship between the two superpowers.

“China has been our key economic partner. Therefore, we want to continue to be able to do business with China,” he noted.

“At the same time, we have also told our American friends that America is a very important partner to us too. In fact, they are the biggest investor in Singapore … and we told both sides that both of them are important to us.

“This is a very narrow pathway that we need to navigate, but we also emphasise to them that our relationship to them must be built on principles, and the principles must be Singapore’s national interest.

“So no matter who we work with, whether it’s US or China, any other country, always start from Singapore’s national principles, always work for Singapore.”