Vivian Balakrishnan recaps packed month of diplomacy following visits to China, North Korea & South Korea

Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan was speaking to press on May 28, at the conclusion of his four-day working visit to China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (South Korea).

During his visit, he met his counterparts in all three countries while meeting local and national leaders in the four cities he visited: Beijing, Pyongyang, Shenyang, and Seoul.

While Vivian and Singapore's government have regularly visited China and South Korea and met with their leaders, this is the first time in eight years that a Singaporean Foreign Minister has visited Pyongyang.

Many Miles in May

Vivian began by recapping a very busy month where he had meetings in 13 different countries, from the Gulf States in the Middle East, South and Central America, back in Southeast Asia for the Asean summit, and finally the most recent Northeast Asia visit.

He said the visits emphasised the value of face-to-face diplomacy when meeting his counterparts across the world, and of finding opportunities to interact, exchange notes, and broaden Singapore’s networks.

Referring to his Northeast Asia trip, he noted the “excellent state” of relations between Singapore and China, having met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, whom Vivian described as a “dear old friend.”

He also spoke about his observations of the recent visit of U.S. President Donald Trump to China, referring to it as a successful visit and that his readings were that China seemed pleased with the outcome of the summit, and the recognition from both sides that they are peer superpowers.

Vivian said that, in contrast to the Cold War, at the present moment, the U.S. and China operated in the same economic universe. Both sides would need to find a modus vivendi with which they could work together.

The fact that both China and the U.S. recognise that they were peer superpowers for the long term and could not exclude each other completely or achieve complete victory over the other is, at least in the short term, "positive, helpful, and hopefully stabilising."

The Singapore delegation also visited Shenyang while travelling from Pyongyang, when Vivian also met local leaders from the Liaoning Province through which the delegation traveled via from Pyongyang to Seoul.

Vivian emphasised the close relationship with the Republic of Korea, calling them an important economic partner with which both sides were currently reviewing and updating the FTA. And as Singapore is the Asean-Korea Economic Coordinator, Singapore was also looking to upgrade the ASEAN-Korea FTA in the future as well.

First DPRK visit in 8 years

Vivian also spoke extensively about his observations of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Vivian noted that it had been eight years since he first visited Pyongyang, having last visited in 2018 in the lead up to the Trump-Kim Summit.

In the intervening time Pyongyang has continued to grow and develop, and Vivian described it as a "clean, modern, well-organised, and well-planned city", which would fit in with any modern city throughout Southeast or Northeast Asia.

Another change he noted was the "outright, categorical rejection" of reunification with the ROK, which he described as a more recent hardened position.

The DPRK appeared to not be keen on any external engagement with the U.S. or the ROK, instead focusing on building up its own self-reliance and military deterrence.

Vivian nonetheless invited his counterpart, DPRK foreign minister Choe Son Hui, to attend the ASEAN regional forum, saying that it was still important for the voice of the DPRK to be heard on the international stage.

He urged her to look for appropriate opportunities and, in an appropriate way, manner, and timing, to engage with the larger world.

Time to Ripen

Vivian also responded to speculation from local Korean media outlets that his visit was an indication of some kind of future Trump-Kim summit.

It was brought up to Vivian that local Korean media outlets were taking Vivian’s visit to the DPRK as a possible indication of a future Trump-Kim summit, similar to how his 2018 visit had preceded the first summit, which was held in Singapore.

He said that it was speculative and that his visit was due to an invitation from the DPRK to commemorate 50 years of diplomatic ties.

For his part, he wanted to update himself on developments in the DPRK.

He emphasised that the DPRK appeared not to be ready to re-engage with the U.S. and advised strategic patience, saying, "Some things need time to ripen."

Separate, independent relationship

He also emphasised that Singapore was not putting up her hand to offer any role.

The Singapore-DPRK relationship was built on friendship and mutual respect, and Singapore had a separate, independent relationship with the DPRK.

However, Singapore was still constrained by the United Nations Security Council resolutions, which posed significant restrictions on economic ties.

Vivian observed that the sanctions regime had been tough on the DPRK, but that Pyongyang had been able to develop regardless.

Vivian observed that within Pyongyang, the shops had goods and merchandise for sale, and the DPRK showed the Singapore delegation that they also had access to e-commerce.

"They have the accoutrements of modern life."

As far as Singapore is concerned, Vivian said we are an outsider to the region with an independent relationship to the DPRK.

All Singapore could offer from the outside was to be a friend who would say that, in their opinion, it was a good idea to keep lines of communication open, but ultimately these were decisions that had to be made by the DPRK alone.