Singapore China Relations

"Showcasing the substantive and multi-faceted Singapore-China relationship, this book examines the political, economic, socio-cultural, people-to-people and even military exchanges between the two countries. It also highlights flagship projects and other key private sector-led projects that have become hallmarks of bilateral cooperation. The book argues that the current level of cooperation is built on the earlier foundation laid by Lee Kuan Yew and Deng Xiaoping. In a way, the bilateral relationship is a unique one. For one, Deng Xiaoping had singled out Singapore as a model for China's reforms and China today continues to find Singapore's experience relevant. Singapore is also learning from China in the process. The two countries also have a number of bilateral institutional mechanisms that have become more important in reviewing existing cooperation and identifying new ways of working together. Rather than simply provide an overview of bilateral relations, the book highlights the unique or distinguishing features of the Singapore-China relationship in four main areas, which are revealed in the book"--

This book presents a detailed account of the development of strong and substantive economic relations that existed between Singapore and China since the time when the two countries established diplomatic ties in October 1990. The chapters provide a comprehensive discussion of the main areas of cooperation, such as the institutional framework for pursuing economic links, the Suzhou Industrial Park, the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City, investments, trade, finance, tourism and education. The economic opportunities and challenges in these economic sectors in the two countries are examined in the context of the profound political and social changes taking place in mainland China and the globalization of the world economy. The book will be invaluable to policy-makers, academics and students specializing in Chinese studies, as well as businessmen and the general public interested in seeking a greater understanding of the complex economic relations between the two nations.

The defining geopolitical contest of the twenty-first century is between China and the US. But is it avoidable? And if it happens, is the outcome already inevitable? China and America are world powers without serious rivals. They eye each other warily across the Pacific; they communicate poorly; there seems little natural empathy. A massive geopolitical contest has begun. America prizes freedom; China values freedom from chaos.America values strategic decisiveness; China values patience.America is becoming society of lasting inequality; China a meritocracy.America has abandoned multilateralism; China welcomes it. Kishore Mahbubani, a diplomat and scholar with unrivalled access to policymakers in Beijing and Washington, has written the definitive guide to the deep fault lines in the relationship, a clear-eyed assessment of the risk of any confrontation, and a bracingly honest appraisal of the strengths and weaknesses, and superpower eccentricities, of the US and China.

With China's dynamic economic growth, its relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) states have expanded rapidly in recent years, culminating in the conclusion of the landmark China-ASEAN Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement in 2002. Beyond trade and economic activities, China-ASEAN cooperation has broadened to cover the environment, science and technology, non-traditional security areas and related legal issues. China's relations with ASEAN have reached a new era where the two sides have established an economic, legal and political framework for their comprehensive cooperation.This book provides a comprehensive overview of China-ASEAN relations from economic, legal and political perspectives and examines various important topics related to non-traditional security issues, free trade zone and regional economic integration, border trade and environmental issues, and maritime security.

Geography has moulded Singapore's self-definition, much as it has shaped the contours of the rest of Southeast Asia, a region that lies south of China and east of India. Placed within overlapping Sinic and Indic zones, Singapore's "entrept" role has served both. Today, as China and India emerge simultaneously as rising powers, a port city is going beyond its trading role to engage them in political and security terms. This book combines diplomatic history and international relations theory to show how Singapore is facilitating China's and India's engagement of Southeast Asia.

Amid China-US geopolitical competition in the Asia-Pacific, it is imperative for both China and Singapore to adapt and respond to evolving circumstances for mutual benefit. The enduring trust and solid foundation between China and Singapore in economic and trade cooperation are validated through their active involvement in each other’s initiatives. This proved true even when the recent COVID-19 pandemic strained political interactions. The political-security dimensions of the relationship between China and Singapore are complex and constantly evolving, influenced as they are by factors such as Singapore’s military training in Taiwan, the contentious South China Sea disputes, and US foreign policy in the region. However, Singapore’s longstanding hedging strategy between the two superpowers may face increasingly severe tests as China-US rivalry escalates. If carefully managed, Singapore’s successful track record of facilitating dialogue between conflicting parties can continue to make it a valuable player in easing tensions between China and the US.

CNN “Book of the Week” Featuring a foreword by Henry Kissinger The grand strategist and founder of modern Singapore offers key insights and opinions on globalization, geopolitics, economic growth, and democracy in a series of interviews with the author of Destined for War, and others “If you are interested in the future of Asia, which means the future of the world, you’ve got to read this book.” —Fareed Zakaria, CNN When Lee Kuan Yew speaks, presidents, prime ministers, diplomats, and CEOs listen. Lee, the founding father of modern Singapore and its prime minister from 1959 to 1990, has honed his wisdom during more than fifty years on the world stage. Almost single-handedly responsible for transforming Singapore into a Western-style economic success, he offers a unique perspective on the geopolitics of East and West. American presidents from Richard Nixon to Barack Obama have welcomed him to the White House; British prime ministers from Margaret Thatcher to Tony Blair have recognized his wisdom; and business leaders from Rupert Murdoch to Rex Tillerson, CEO of Exxon Mobil, have praised his accomplishments. This book gathers key insights from interviews, speeches, and Lee’s voluminous published writings and presents them in an engaging question and answer format. Lee offers his assessment of China’s future, asserting, among other things, that “China will want to share this century as co-equals with the U.S.” He affirms the United States’ position as the world’s sole superpower but expresses dismay at the vagaries of its political system. He offers strategic advice for dealing with China and goes on to discuss India’s future, Islamic terrorism, economic growth, geopolitics and globalization, and democracy. Lee does not pull his punches, offering his unvarnished opinions on multiculturalism, the welfare state, education, and the free market. This little book belongs on the reading list of every world leader.

At the height of the Cold War in Southeast Asia, the foreign relations between the United States and Singapore demonstrated the interplay between America’s strategy of containment and Singapore’s efforts at a non-aligned foreign policy. But there is a deeper story. American involvement in the Vietnam War not only held back the spread of communism in Southeast Asia, but also catalysed economic and strategic cooperation between the United States and Singapore. The author argues that Singapore might not have achieved its success so rapidly without the support of the US. As the war in Vietnam raged on, Singapore became a critical refueling point, also providing ship and aircraft repair for the US military. Commercial and strategic support from the United States lifted Singapore out of the economic doom predicted for the city-state after secession from Malaysia, cessation of Indonesian trade during Konfrontasi and Britain’s military withdrawal. By considering the importance of the US’s role in Singapore’s nation-building, this book provides an important supplement to the well-trodden narrative that attributes Singapore’s success to good governance.

This book explores to what extent China has drawn lessons from Singapore, both in terms of its ruling ideology and through the policy-specific learning process. In so doing, it provides insights into the opportunities but also the challenges of this long-term learning process, focusing attention to how non-democratic regimes deal with modernization. The stellar line-up of international contributors, from China, Singapore, Europe, and the US, offer a variety of perspectives on Singapore as a model of "authoritarian modernism" for China. The book discusses how the small Southeast Asian city-state became a major reference point for China, how mainland observers often misunderstood the nature of Singapore’s governance and instrumentalized it to bolster the CCP’s legitimacy, and why the Singapore model appears to be in decline under Xi Jinping. The chapters also analyze policy-specific learning processes, including bilateral mechanisms of policy exchange, the Chinese "mayor’s class" in Singapore, and joint industrial projects and lessons in social welfare provision. The book will be of interest to academics working on Chinese politics; development in China; state society and economy in the Asia-Pacific; international relations in the Asia-Pacific; and Southeast Asian politics.