Why Singapore Should Not Be Underestimated Despite Its Small Size

Based on PM Lawrence Wong’s speech, Singapore possesses several significant strengths and achievements that give it considerable influence despite its physical limitations:

Built Capabilities Over 60 Years

1. Financial Reserves: Singapore has accumulated substantial financial resources that provide economic stability and strategic flexibility during global uncertainties.
2. Deep Technical Capabilities: The country has systematically developed expertise across multiple sectors since its independence in 1965.
3. Defence Investment: Unlike nations that reduced military spending, Singapore consistently invested in defence and homeland security, recognising that “no one will come to our rescue.”
4. Diplomatic Network: Singapore has “forged strong friendships around the world” and enjoys “a deep reservoir of international goodwill.”

Strategic Advantages

1. Singapore Brand: PM Wong highlighted that the “Singapore brand is well-regarded” internationally, creating trust and opening doors.
2. Multilateral Forum Influence: Singapore has played a constructive role not through “grandstanding but by building consensus and finding solutions.”
3. Knowledge Sharing: The Singapore Cooperation Programme has benefited over 155,000 officials from 180 countries, extending Singapore’s soft power.
4. Geographic Position: Singapore functions as a “natural meeting point for cultures, commerce and exchange” – a historical role it continues to leverage.

International Integration

1. Economic Agreements: Singapore is already embedded in major trade pacts like RCEP and CPTPP.
2. ASEAN Leadership: Singapore will chair ASEAN in 2027, allowing it to shape regional priorities.
3. Expanding Diplomatic Presence: Plans to open new missions in Africa and Latin America while strengthening Middle Eastern partnerships.
4. Development Partnership: Creating a new unit in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to share expertise in emerging areas like the digital economy and renewable energy.

Cultural and Social Strengths

1. Social Cohesion: PM Wong emphasised the importance of Singaporeans holding “fast to what binds us together” despite the diversity of opinions.
2. Global Outlook: Citizens are described as “well-travelled and well-informed,” creating a population that understands international dynamics.
3. National Identity: The speech references a “shared sense of responsibility to protect our home and our fellow citizens” that creates unity.
4. Historical Resilience: Singapore has consistently found “innovative ways to overcome its lack of critical resources.”

PM Wong’s message is clear: Singapore in 2025 is “not without agency” and is “better resourced, more capable, more connected” than when it started as an independent nation. Rather than being constrained by its small physical size, Singapore has leveraged its strategic position, invested in capabilities, built international relationships, and developed a cohesive national identity that allows it to exert influence disproportionate to its geographic footprint.

The country’s approach to “chart our own course with courage, foresight and skill” despite global uncertainties, demonstrates how Singapore has transformed potential vulnerabilities into strengths through strategic planning and execution.

Why Singapore Is “Not Without Agency”

When PM Lawrence Wong states that “Singapore today is not without agency,” he’s making a powerful assertion about Singapore’s ability to shape its destiny despite being a small state. This phrase directly counters the perception that small nations must passively accept conditions imposed by more extensive powers.

Key Elements Supporting Singapore’s Agency:

1. Evolution Since Independence

• Singapore in 2025 is fundamentally different from Singapore in 1965
• The country has transformed from a vulnerable, newly independent state to a developed nation with significant capabilities
• PM Wong specifically states they are “better resourced, more capable, more connected than we were in 1965”

2. Financial Independence

• Singapore has built substantial financial reserves that provide economic autonomy.
• These reserves allow Singapore to weather global economic storms without dependence on external bailouts.
• Financial strength enables strategic investments and policy choices that might be unavailable to an indebted nation.

3. Strategic Capabilities

• Singapore has developed specialised expertise across multiple sectors
• Their defence investments ensure they can maintain sovereignty
• Technical capabilities in finance, technology, and other areas provide leverage in international relations

4. Diplomatic Capital

• The “Singapore brand” carries global respect and credibility
• They’ve built a “deep reservoir of international goodwill”
• Singapore’s reputation for pragmatism and reliability gives it influence in multilateral forums

5. Networked Position

• Singapore actively works with “like-minded countries” to build coalitions
• Their involvement in trade agreements gives them a voice in economic systems
• Singapore’s geographic position as a hub connects it to multiple regions and powers

PM Wong is arguing that while Singapore remains constrained by its size and lack of natural resources, it has deliberately built capabilities that provide it with meaningful options and influence. The phrase “not without agency” acknowledges both limitations and hard-earned strengths—Singapore cannot control all global forces. Still, it can make consequential choices about how to respond to them and actively shape aspects of its environment rather than merely react.

This perspective is critical in a time of global flux, as it positions Singapore not as a helpless small state but as an actor with meaningful capacity to navigate and influence the changing international order.

How Singapore Can Navigate the New Global Order

Based on PM Lawrence Wong’s speech, Singapore has a clear strategy for navigating the emerging global order characterised by fragmentation and multipolarity:

1. Active Stewardship of Global Commons

• Knowledge Sharing: Expanding the Singapore Cooperation Programme to share expertise with a broader range of countries
• Development Partnerships: Creating a new dedicated unit within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• New Focus Areas: Adding digital economy and renewable energy to traditional development areas
• Geographic Expansion: While maintaining focus on Southeast Asia, extending development partnerships to Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, the Pacific, and the Caribbean

2. Championing Deeper Regional Integration

• Tariff Elimination: Working toward 100% tariff elimination within ASEAN
• Non-Tariff Barriers: Reducing regulatory obstacles to cross-border business
• ASEAN Chairmanship: Using Singapore’s upcoming 2027 chairmanship (coinciding with ASEAN’s 60th anniversary) to strengthen regional architecture
• Partnership with Malaysia: Collaborating with the current ASEAN chair on concrete regional projects

3. Strengthening Global Partnerships

• Expanding Diplomatic Presence: Opening new missions in Africa and Latin America
• Middle East Engagement: Stepping up relations with Gulf countries and other Middle Eastern partners
• Economic Integration: Exploring cooperation between major trade agreements like CPTPP and the EU (which together represent 30% of global GDP)
• Building Coalitions: Working with “like-minded countries that share its commitment to an open, stable and rules-based global system”

4. Internal Cohesion and Capabilities

• National Unity: Maintaining social cohesion despite diverse viewpoints
• Defence Readiness: Continuing investment in security capabilities
• Public Engagement: Involving citizens in understanding global developments
• Historical Identity: Remaining true to Singapore’s role as “a safe harbour, a global emporium, and a trusted hub for all sides to engage”

PM Wong frames Singapore’s approach as one of resilience and active adaptation rather than passive acceptance of changing conditions. His metaphor about monsoon winds is particularly telling: “The monsoon winds are blowing again. But we do not need to cower, and we certainly will not capitulate. We cannot control the global currents, but we can chart our own course with courage, foresight and skill.”

This strategy acknowledges geopolitical realities while asserting Singapore’s ability to navigate them through careful positioning, strategic partnerships, and leveraging its unique strengths as a trusted global hub.

How Singapore’s Strengths Enable Navigation Through Dangerous Times

Singapore’s carefully developed strengths provide it with unique advantages to navigate the increasingly volatile global landscape:

Strategic Positioning Through Financial Resilience

Singapore’s substantial financial reserves act as both shield and leverage during uncertain times:

• Crisis Insulation: Reserves protect Singapore from economic shocks that might force policy compromises
• Strategic Investments: Financial strength allows Singapore to seize opportunities that emerge from global disruption
• Independence of Action: Unlike debt-burdened countries, Singapore can make decisions based on long-term interests rather than immediate financial pressures

Diplomatic Capital as a Navigation Tool

The respected “Singapore brand” and accumulated goodwill offer significant advantages:

• Trusted Intermediary: Singapore can serve as a bridge between competing powers and blocs
• Convening Power: Singapore’s reputation allows it to bring diverse parties together
• Voice Amplification: Despite its size, Singapore’s perspectives receive attention in international forums due to its established credibility

Security Self-Reliance as Foundation

Singapore’s consistent investment in defence provides essential security autonomy:

• Deterrence Capability: Reduces vulnerability to coercion during geopolitical tensions
• Operational Freedom: Security capabilities ensure Singapore can maintain sovereign decision-making
• Strategic Clarity: As PM Wong notes, Singaporeans understand “no one else will safeguard Singapore’s interest”

Network Integration as Risk Mitigation

Singapore’s extensive connections across multiple partnerships provide diversification:

• Economic Resilience: Involvement in various trade agreements reduces dependency on any single market
• Strategic Flexibility: Multiple partnerships allow Singapore to adapt as power balances shift
• Information Advantage: Being connected to diverse nations provides valuable intelligence about emerging developments

Social Cohesion as an Internal Stabiliser

In fragmented times, Singapore’s social fabric provides crucial domestic stability:

• Decision-Making Speed: Unity allows Singapore to respond quickly to external challenges
• Implementation Effectiveness: Shared purpose translates to effective execution of strategies
• Resilience Under Pressure: A Strong national identity helps withstand external pressures or influence operations

Singapore’s approach transforms what might be vulnerabilities into strategic advantages. Its small size forces discipline and focus, while its lack of natural resources has driven innovation and efficiency. As PM Wong describes, Singapore has positioned itself as “a beacon of hope, stability and purpose” that can maintain its course even as larger nations and systems experience turbulence.

The metaphor of Singapore as a “safe harbour” during stormy times is particularly apt. Although its strengths don’t allow it to control global weather patterns, they do enable it to provide stability and navigate effectively through the storm.

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