Shen Ying: Is foreign policy equal to balance?

There is a word in the diplomatic circle: foreign policy began in China.In other words, if the people form a consensus on national interests, foreign policy will be much more smooth.

Because of this, attending community and campus dialogue is also part of the work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.In these occasions, the most commonly encountered problems in recent years are: How did Singapore maintain friendly with China and the United States at the same time?How should we continue to maintain this balance?

Whether it is an expert or a media commentator who observes and analyzes the international situation, or the Chinese who care about current affairs, they are likely to have ideas about this topic.Not to mention, Premier Li Xianlong recently visited China recently.A friend happily told me that this visit was very good, because recently, Singapore seems to be closer to the United States, it is time to balance it.

Maintaining a balance between China and the United States seems to be a standard for people at home and abroad to measure Singapore's foreign policy.What makes one party feel smooth, then it is best to say some words to support the other side; or make a move to the other party to show the unparalleled selflessness, and a bowl of water is smooth and stable.

According to a survey by the Ministry of Communications and the Ministry of News in July 2022, 86%of the Singaporeans believe that the government should act in accordance with national interests to avoid choosing a side station between China and the United States.Only 4%believe that Singapore should be relying on China, and other 4%believe that Singapore should rely on the United States.

Some people also understand our foreign policy as "not choosing edges, not in the beginning, and keeping neutrality in everything."

Is Singapore's foreign policy equal to balance?This issue is worth exploring and clarifying.

I want to propose three points:

Singapore's foreign policy focuses on principles, rather than seeking balance.Whether Singapore can enjoy international space depends on whether there is a basis for cooperation between big powers.Singapore will do its best to expand the foundation of international cooperation.

Balance non -Singapore Foreign Policy Purpose

As a small country that lacks natural resources and highly depends on free trade, we need: peaceful and safe external environment; transparent and effective international law and stable international order; efficient, standardized, globalized market economic system.The above is the prerequisite for Singapore's survival, independence, and prosperity; it is also the core principle of leading our foreign policy.

If the world is unity, and the same cooperation between countries, the relationship between any country and other countries will not appear particularly "balanced" or "unbalanced".But if the world is in chaos and the country is not an enemy or friend, then it is difficult for any country to maintain the same friendly relationship with the countries of various camps.

There are serious differences between the two major powers of China and the United States, and Singapore maintains a good relationship with the two at the same time.Only then did the concept of seeking "balance".However, new China relations and new US relations do not depend on Singapore's unilateral balancing surgery, but have been based on years of experience in substantial and mutual benefit.

Let's talk about new China relations first.

Singapore has a long -lasting friendship with China.In the past few decades, we have witnessed China's profound changes and development.By market -oriented economic development strategies, China has greatly improved the quality of life of 1.4 billion people.We believe that a peaceful rise in China will be a pivotal growth engine to the Asia -Pacific region and the world.

Singapore supports China's continuous reform and opening up, and has participated in China's development process.The three national -level cooperation projects in the new and middle and China marks various stages of development in China.The Suzhou Industrial Park was founded in the 1990s; when China was rapidly industrialized.In 2008, we cooperated with China ’s attention to environmental protection and carried out cooperation in Xinzhong Tianjin Ecological City.In 2015, in order to strengthen China's integration with the world, we carried out a demonstration project of the new Chongqing interconnection and interconnection, which led to a new channel for China -Singapore International Land and Sea Trade.

Many economic partners who have cooperated with China, including Singapore, have achieved substantial results.Singapore is one of the largest source of foreign investment in China, and China is also Singapore's largest commodity trading partner.We have established eight provincial -level economic and trade cooperation councils with China to develop more win -win opportunities for many companies and businesses.

Premier Li visited China last month, the two countries raised their cooperation relationships to "comprehensive and high -quality forward -looking partnerships", reflecting that the two sides have made high to continue to expand cooperation, such as the digital economy and the green economy in the new development field, such as the digital economy and the green economy.The willingness of quality cooperation.

When it comes to new China -China relations, many people will also think of the role of Singapore Chinese in new Chinese relations.Indeed, Singapore is a country with the majority of Chinese people, which also means that most Singaporeans' family roots can be traced back to somewhere in China, especially the coastal southern provinces.In terms of culture or blood, there is a relationship.Moreover, Singapore implements bilingual education policies. Even if English is our working language, many Chinese Chinese have mastered certain Chinese ability, and communicating with Chinese partners and talking about business are naturally more convenient and kind.The folk level in terms of culture, blood, and language will undoubtedly make new Chinese relations richer.

However, if you interpret new China -China relations from a cultural perspective, you may have partiality and misunderstanding.Those who lack in -depth understanding of Singapore may not be able to experience the truth.The Singaporeans have both the identity of an independent country citizen and the cultural identity of their own Chinese, Malay, Indians or other races.National identity and cultural identity are two different things.

The government encourages Singaporeans to understand and appreciate friend culture; affirmation and promotion of crystalline products formed by the blending of various cultures (such as traditional clothing Kebaya, which is jointly applied with Southeast Asian four countries);Culture, including Chinese culture.At the same time, we establish a highly consistent national identity.If Singapore's appearance, Singapore's position should be adopted internationally, it will inevitably be deviated.

Senior newspaper person, Mr. Lin Renjun, published a comment at the Lianhe Zaobao earlier this year to discuss the issue of "being selected" and mentioned that the Morning Post was among the so -called "Chinese Internet forces" by overseas media.Overseas media with a certain reputation will still have this subjective view of the United Morning Post. Overseas people who do not know the specific national conditions of Singapore will imagine Singapore.

Historian Professor Wang Yanwu recently delivered a speech entitled "What is the Chinese in Singapore", which caused a lot of heated discussions.The article has sorted out the development trajectory of the Singapore Chinese News Agency for hundreds of years, so that readers can clearly feel that how Chinese Chinese should define is a complex problem with the wrong root.

As Professor Wang pointed out that Singapore is an independent sovereign nation country and a global city. It belongs to the heart and central location of the Southeast Asian region under the banner of the Asian fine security.One of the words of Professor Wang is particularly brilliant: "... Singapore has pursued an extraordinary principle from the beginning, that is, admitting that everyone born here is equal. The diverse society will be the foundation of this new country. As far as I know, I knowThis is unique in other countries. At the beginning of any other country, whoever occupies the majority will decide the basic principles of establishing the country ... Singapore is what I know, the only country that is the opposite: the main ethnic group understands that they live in a oneMulti -society, but in the area where the country is, they are minorities. They accept them equally. The multi -society is the principle of the founding of the founding of the Singapore. It is rare to open the national construction process in this way. "

Professor Wang analyzed from the perspective of experts that Singapore made an unusual choice in order to establish national identity. It is believed that it has important reference value for those who want to understand Singapore in depth.On the other hand, the Chinese in Singapore are very clear: they are SingaporeCitizens are also Chinese in Singapore, not "overseas Chinese".

Therefore, Singapore's foreign policy must fully represent the interests of all Singapore citizens, including Chinese compatriots, Malay compatriots, Indian compatriots, European Asians and other race compatriots.These interests are reflected in Singapore's external environment, stable international order, and the pursuit of global market economy systems.Since China has opened the door to reform and opening up, Singapore has a wide range of cooperation and China, so Singapore can establish a good relationship with China.

The same good new US relations are also established based on Singapore's diplomatic principles.

The United States plays a vital role in ensuring the international order formed after the Second World War; through the promotion of openness and rules as dominated by international order, to create stable and prosperous conditions for Asia; provide regional peace to provide regional peaceProtective umbrellas promote peaceful getting along with the Asia -Pacific countries and win -win trade.American companies also invest in a large amount of investment in the Asian economies in Singapore, entering funds, technology and innovative thinking to promote regional prosperity.

The United States is still a strong economic force, and promoting cooperation in the United States will continue to bring positive results to the Asia -Pacific region.The United States is the largest source of investment sources in Singapore and Asians, the largest service trading partner country, and the third largest commodity trade partner country in Singapore.In Singapore, American companies' advantages in innovation and cultivation are generally recognized.

Singapore leaders have always maintained a good interaction with the United States.Premier Li visited the United States twice last year, and several Singapore Cabinet Ministers also visited the United States last year.President Biden's governance team and the House of Representatives also sent representatives to visit Singapore several times.

Singapore and the United States have accumulated decades of cooperation experience in national defense and security.As the major national defense security partners in the United States, Singapore supports the US military existence in the region.Xinmei's cooperation memorandum signed in 1990 and renewed in 2019, allowing the U.S. military to use Singapore's sea and air military bases.

The Indo -Pacific Economic framework launched in May 2022, Singapore also participated.We believe that this framework will deepen the United States' economic cooperation in the region, in line with Singapore's support for openness, tolerance and rules, and hopes that it will bring more substantial economic results.New American cooperation has also extended to network security, digital economy, sustainable development, and even outer space.These cooperation areas reflect the breadth and depth of the new US relations.

Like New China Relations, it is not difficult to see that the foothold of the new US relations is based on the pursuit of principles -Singapore -regional peace, international order, and mutual benefit of economic and trade cooperation -it is inseparable.These principles not only dominate the development of new China -China relations and new and US relations, but also dominate the development of friendship and cooperation with Singapore with large powers, middle powers, and regional neighboring countries.At present, Singapore has a good relationship with countries around the world.

Although we are committed to making friends internationally internationally, we pay more attention to playing the role of "honesty intermediary".This concept comes from the obligation of Singapore as a free port to perform trade customers. It is also a way Singapore creates value for partnerships when participating in international affairs.To be a honest intermediary, you must: the same words and deeds; there is something in words, and you will not only pick good words; or say different words to different objects.

Occasionally, based on the principle of national interests, Singapore must show its position on important international affairs, and even say "no" to a big country after careful consideration and weighing the advantages and disadvantages.Even if the disagreement or unhappiness will cause opinions, we have never been timid.Singapore knows that only by adhering to a honest, credible, and reliable diplomatic style, and not being a subsidiary, agent or covering in any country, can our speech and position be convincing.

Singapore enjoys international space conditions

Global problems such as public health and climate change urgently need all countries, regardless of the size and cooperation side by side.Cooperation and competition between great powers can coexist.Even if values and ideology are different, cooperation may be done.

The global market mechanism promotes commodity and service trade, providing the world with the most widely founded foundation for cooperation.International law is equally important; it provides peaceful channels for solving differences and disputes.There are always differences and contradictions between countries around the world.But differences and contradictions are not necessarily, and they should not evolve into conflict.With the rules -oriented international order, with international cooperation, there is a possibility of peaceful trade and peaceful competition in various countries.

The normal operation of these mechanisms finally relies on mutual trust and respect between large powers.Theoretically, the global supply chain should reflect the comparative advantages of various economies and promote the reasonable domination of resources.Especially in the moment when fine and complex technology products are changing with each passing day, consumers around the world rely more on different enterprises and economies to conduct division of labor cooperation through market mechanisms.

In a world that loses mutual trust, national security costs have triggered various suspicion based on national security considerations, making it difficult for this division of labor.Military and civilian items, software and technologies are the first.Therefore, international controversy around 5G communication equipment, semiconductor chips, and even individual mobile apps.These disputes are extremely difficult to solve in the case of losing mutual trust, which may lead to the gradually fusion of the original international supply chain gradually separated, forming the consequences of damage.The support of multilateralism and the process of globalization will gradually disappear, and economic demand will be difficult to row out of externalism.

If the great powers are jealous of each other, misunderstanding and prejudice will only be deeper and deeper, and international order will inevitably shake.The increasing foundation of international cooperation will mean that Singapore's demands for regional peace, international order, and economic and trade cooperation will lose protection.Countries will also miss the opportunity to jointly strive for prosperity and solve global problems.Even if there is a superb balance, it is not available.

Maximum effort to expand the foundation of international cooperation

How should Singapore deal with this situation?It would be too negative if our response method was only "continuing not to stand in a team or not."We naturally want to see that the situation in the world improves, and we will work hard for it.The specific approach is to try to broaden the foundation of international cooperation.

In Southeast Asia, Singapore is committed to building a regional cooperation framework for the construction of Asia.

In addition, Singapore also fulfills the multilateral system -oriented multilateral system to help improve the effective governance of international sharing space.This includes actively participating in the formulation of international law in the United Nations.Following the successful passing of the International Marine Law in 1982, Singapore contributed to the Ocean Law again last month to promote the biodiversity agreement outside the country's jurisdiction.These iconic results reflect the increasingly fierce disputes between geopolitics, while the international community still regards Singapore as an intermediary with integrity and is willing to entrust and negotiate the tasks of consulting and negotiating with multiple countries.

Climate change is also a topic that Singapore is very concerned.As a low -lying island country, the rise of altitude rising on altitude has extremely severe impact on us.In the past two years, Singapore co -hosted negotiations on carbon market rules, which has done its efforts to control global carbon emissions.

In the field of economy and trade, Singapore, as always, defends freedom, openness, rules -oriented, and world trade organizations.In addition to working at the WTO level, Singapore also actively promotes several forward -looking free trade agreements to promote economic integration.These include the Cross Pacific Partnership Comprehensive Progress Agreement (CPTPP); and signed digital economic agreements and green economic agreements with Australia, Chile, New Zealand, Britain and other countries.

In other important areas, Singapore is also actively participating in the establishment of international rules: through the chairman of the unlimited member quota working group in the field of information and telecommunications from the perspective of international security, to create a more secure and peaceful Internet;The chairman of the special working group of anti -money laundering financial operations is to fight against crimes such as black laundering and funding terrorism.

Singapore participates in these platforms and agree to serve as the main cornerIt is to build a space for large countries and small countries to work together; try their best to restore mutual trust among countries; maintain multilateralism and continue to be the main means to solve new opportunities in international problems and develop new opportunities.Although the small country can do it is limited, we must go all out to go all out to broaden the foundation of international cooperation in order to broaden the foundation of international cooperation.

The so -called "foreign policy began in China". Whether Singapore's foreign policy is successful depends on the understanding and support of the people.

I hope the views I put forward can help Chinese people who care about the international situation better understand the diplomatic policy of Singapore.

The author is the Minister of Government of the Ministry of Development and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.