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Singapore-China Diplomatic Spotlight

Singapore-China Diplomatic Spotlight

Singapore PM Lawrence Wong made his first trip to China as Prime Minister (June 22-26, 2025). During his visit, he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping (The Singapore PM had earlier met with Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the 31st Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Lima, Peru).

Wong — who also holds the Finance portfolio — attended the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Tianjin – referred to as ‘Summer Davos’. He also met with the National People’s Congress Chairman Zhao Leji — who heads China’s Parliament — China’s Premier Li, and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

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Before embarking upon his visit to China, the Prime Minister’s office (PMO) had issued a statement saying that the visit was: “an opportunity for leaders to discuss bilateral issues as well as regional and global developments”.

Timing of the Singapore PM’s China visit

Wong’s visit comes at an important time. First, the visit took place amidst several global economic and geopolitical challenges. Second, Wong has repeatedly flagged the fact that Singapore needs to brace itself for the economic challenges arising out of Trump 2.0’s economic policies. In April 2025, he had referred to Trump’s decision to impose tariffs and the increasingly inward-looking economic policies as indicating a “seismic change” in the global order.

The Trump administration had imposed 10% tariffs on Singapore. The Singapore PM had expressed his disappointment with this decision of the Trump Administration.

During the meeting between Xi and Wong, a reference was made to Deng Xiaoping’s visit to Singapore in 1978 and then PM Lee Kuan Yew’s firm support for Singapore’s reforms. This is a significant point, since the impact of Singapore’s policies on China’s reforms of the 1970s is often relegated to the sidelines. Deng, the architect of China’s economic miracle and Xi shared a close personal rapport, and the former was impressed by Singapore’s economic progress arising out of the policies introduced by Lee Kuan Yew.

Wong also underscored Xi Jinping’s experience and the fact that he had dealt with all Singaporean PM’s; Lee Kuan Yew, Goh Chok Tong, Lee Hsien Loong, and now him.

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Xi and Lawrence Wong reiterated their commitment to bilateral cooperation to counter economic challenges. Xi said that China would work with Singapore: “to jointly promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and inclusive economic globalisation, and to help steer the world towards a brighter future of peace, security, prosperity and progress”.

Wong, referring to the bilateral relationship, said: “We can work together to establish closer ties and also to cooperate in regional and multilateral platforms, to continue to strengthen multilateralism and the rules-based global order for the benefit of all countries.” 

Singapore and China, which share a robust economic relationship, upgraded their relationship to an “All-Round High-Quality Future-Oriented Partnership” in 2023.

In Wong’s meetings with other senior Chinese officials, potential synergies between both countries were discussed in areas like AI and Robotics. Senior Chinese officials also pointed to the advantages which Singapore possessed, and both sides focused on cooperation under the umbrella of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Wong’s address at the Summer Davos

While speaking at the 2025 Summer Davos, Wong once again underscored the uncertain nature of the current world order, pointing to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical conflicts, weakening of “global institutions” and norms. He also said that while Singapore was concerned about the current situation and had limited “bargaining power” these challenges will impact other countries as well. The Singapore PM said that the ASEAN city-state would play its role in “strengthening multilateralism”. He acknowledged the fact that institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Trade Organisation (WTO) needed reform to remain in sync with the current economic order.

When questioned about balancing ties between the US and China, the Singapore PM said that the island nation gave precedence to its national interest, while ASEAN as a whole was against “zero-sum competition”. The city state has not just benefited from globalisation, but also stable relations between Beijing and Washington, before ties between the US and China began to go downhill in 2018.  Wong’s predecessor Lee Hsien Loong had also warned about the implications of the deterioration of ties between China and the US.

In conclusion, the Singapore PM’s visit was important for several reasons, including the timing as mentioned earlier. Apart from this, like other ASEAN nations, it has been vocal in speaking up against insular economic policies as well as growing global uncertainty. While Singapore has refrained from taking sides as far as Washington-Beijing tensions are concerned, it has been vocal in its pitch for globalisation and multilateralism, as was evident from Lawrence Wong’s China visit.

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