"Singapore in Michigan did not last for very long, about 50 years. Our mission is to make Singapore in Southeast Asia last for a very long time," said Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Oct. 13.

With Halloween around the corner, it was apropos for Wong, also Singapore's Finance Minister, to bring up the "ghost town" called Singapore in Michigan in the U.S.

Wong was speaking in a dialogue at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington D.C. on Oct. 13, at the end of his U.S. visit. The dialogue was moderated by CSIS Senior Advisor and Japan Chair Christopher B Johnstone.

Singapore, Michigan

Wong was asked by a member of the audience about Singapore's biggest domestic challenge in the 2020s. He replied:

"Our biggest challenge is this – Singapore is always an improbable nation. We are so tiny, and with no natural resources, and you would not have bet on Singapore in 1965. You will not expect Singapore to survive, but we did. It is nothing short of a miracle. Our challenge is to sustain this little miracle called Singapore for as long as possible."

Wong then referred to his time as a student in Michigan, and the "ghost town" called Singapore.

Founded in 1836 by New Yorkers, the 19th-century town was a shipbuilding and lumber port that aimed to rival Chicago and Milwaukee.

While it was unclear why it was named Singapore, Wong theorised that word had spread about the thriving British port in the Far East.

Singapore, Michigan did "well for a while", before being "swallowed up" by sand dunes.

"And if you go there now, you can only see a signpost that says these are the ruins of Singapore. So Singapore in Michigan did not last for very long, about 50 years. Our mission is to make Singapore in Southeast Asia last for a very long time."

China views itself as in 'getting strong' phase of nation-building journey: Wong

When asked if China's "aggression" is the "most acute" in the Indo-Pacific, as claimed by the Biden Administration, Wong said that China views itself as transitioning through the third phase of its nation-building journey.

From "standing up" and "getting rich" to "getting strong", Wong said that China feels that "their time has come" to take their "rightful place" in the world.

However, China also knows that it has to "play its cards carefully" by increasing its influence without making other countries feel "pressured, coerced or squeezed", Wong warned. Otherwise, there might be a "backlash against China" which would be against their national interests.

Wong's statement echoes what Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong shared in his closing dialogue during the Asia Future Summit on Oct. 5.

When asked about Asean members' changing relationships with China, PM Lee said:

"It depends on how China plays its cards and how deftly it is able to grow its influence without making other countries feel that they have been squeezed, pressured or coerced."

More uncertain picture for economic growth

Wong also addressed a question about the future of China's economic growth. He said that in the broader context, the world is moving from an era of benign globalisation to a new period of great power competition. There will be more turbulent events creating uncertainty in the global economy.

Another challenge is the end to the era of "easy money" with low interest rates that the world experienced for the past 10 years.

In that environment, more countries will experience sluggish growth, including China.

China is also facing internal issues such as high youth unemployment rates of over 20 per cent, a real estate bubble, and the challenge of shifting their economy to be more consumption-based.

However, Wong said that after talking to China officials, he thinks they "understand what needs to be done."

While some people may believe that China has reached its peak, Wong said that it's an "overstated" claim as China's economy will "continue to grow".

He said he would not "underestimate" the "tremendous sense of drive and energy" of Chinese citizens.

Neither pro-China nor pro-America, but pro-S'pore: Wong

How Singapore is dealing with escalating U.S.-China tensions was a recurrent issue raised throughout the dialogue.

Wong said that Singapore makes decisions based on its own national interests, guided by the principles of international law.

Depending on circumstances, Singapore may make decisions that may appear to be leaning to either side.

“But that doesn’t mean that we are pro-China or pro-America. It simply means that we are pro-Singapore," Wong said.

Yet, Singapore still values its friendship with its "good friend" China and the U.S. which has been a "very good friend for a very long time".

Wong said: "After all, it should be possible to have more than one best friend."

S'pore 'second-largest foreign military presence' in the US: Wong

Wong expressed Singapore's appreciation for the superpower's presence in the Asia-Pacific region over the past 80 years, and its hope for continued American involvement.

Wong added that Singapore also looks forward to strengthening its bilateral partnership with the U.S, with defence as a key pillar.

"Since 1990, Singapore has allowed U.S. troops to use our ports and bases. We host your rotational deployments, we provide logistical support, and at the same time, our troops — troops from the Singapore armed forces — train here in America," Wong said.

Having the "second-largest foreign military presence" in America, Singapore has strong defence cooperation with the U.S., including F-16 pilot training at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, which Wong visited on Oct. 7.

He said that spoke volumes about the confidence and trust they had in each other.

Wong noted that America's leadership remains vital in a global rules-based order, especially in institutions like the United Nations (UN).

He hopes that both countries would continue to work together to create a "new model of globalisation" with global order rules that are "fit for our times".

During the dialogue, Wong also covered other issues such as the Indo-Pacific Economic Cooperation (IPEF), his recent US-Singapore dialogue on Critical and Emerging Technologies, and Asean matters.

He was in the U.S. on an official visit from Oct. 5 to 15.

You can view Wong's Facebook post here:

Top image from Lawrence Wong/Facebook credited to Ngau Kai Yan.

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