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Singapore leader says US-China rivalry to rise as Trump returns
BloombergTue, 21 January 2025 at 7:24 pm GMT-8·1-min read
Singapore enjoys close trade and political relations with both the US and China. (Photographer: Ore Huiying/Bloomberg)
By Low De Wei
(Bloomberg) – Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said that competition between the US and China will grow, although the risk of a “full decoupling” is unlikely at this stage.
“We are in a new environment, a more dangerous, more turbulent environment,” Wong told university students on Tuesday in comments posted by the Straits Times newspaper. He flagged the risk of new trade barriers or accidents and miscalculations around hotspots like the South China Sea or Taiwan Strait.
The city-state, which enjoys close trade and political relations with the two powers, are among the nations grappling with the second administration of Donald Trump, which has signalled a tougher stance on China. The newly inaugurated US President has so far held off immediate tariffs on China, although he has signalled that may be a temporary reprieve.
Still, Wong said he couldn’t conceive of a full decoupling between the US and China because of their interdependency.
“If such a scenario was to arise, frankly, god help us all” he said. “Then we are truly at the brink of a third world war.”
