A marquee visit by Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to China this week has underscored a push by Southeast Asian countries for multilateralism amid uncertainty over America’s commitment to the region and free trade.
Observers say Wong’s comments during his five-day trip, particularly at the World Economic Forum in Tianjin, or so-called Summer Davos, are aligned with the regional agenda of Asean members in recent years.
But even as Chinese President Xi Jinping called for his country and Singapore to “stand on the right side of history” and advocate for an equal multipolar world, analysts say it remains to be seen if Beijing will put its money where its mouth is.
Wong’s China visit marked his first such trip outside Southeast Asia since being sworn in as prime minister in May 2024. It also comes after the decisive win of his ruling party at the general election last month.
At their meeting on Tuesday, Xi in his comments to Wong echoed his message to other Asean leaders earlier this year to stand up against “unilateral bullying” and “tariff abuse” in reference to US President Donald Trump’s trade policies.
“Hearing that straight from the senior-most leadership in China is somewhat reassuring, but of course the proof is in the pudding,” said Chin-Hao Huang, associate professor of political science at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore.
