Countries should find ways forward together, even if US is not involved: PM Wong

But S’pore prefers US to be actively engaged in talks to shape global framework, he says

- Tham Yuen-C Senior Political Correspondent

Countries should come together and find ways forward on their own, even if the United States is not involved in discussions or chooses not to be, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said at the end of his trip to Africa, where he attended the Group of 20 (G-20) summit marked by the absence of US President Donald Trump.

But Singapore’s preference is still for America to be actively engaged in these conversations to shape the direction of global affairs, he said, adding that the US can join in “at any time” when it is ready.

Although the world is increasingly multi-polar, not all poles are the same, said PM Wong, who is also Finance Minister.

“America is, for now, still the biggest (pole), and obviously American leadership is vital in providing that global framework for the world,” he added.

He was speaking to Singapore journalists in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at the end of an official visit that had followed his trip to Johannesburg, South Africa, for the G-20 summit.

Mr Trump had boycotted the summit over widely discredited claims that South Africa is persecuting its Afrikaner white minority, and the historic summit held in Africa for the first time was at times overshadowed by his absence. The US is slated to chair the G-20 in 2026.

Despite these tensions in the backdrop, the G-20 summit has been a “tremendous success”, said PM Wong, adding that such platforms play a key role in getting countries to come together and engage.

He said he was glad that despite differences, all the countries that were present came together to put out a declaration in Johannesburg. There was some consensus on the way forward, and that makes for a “very fruitful outcome”, he said.

The leaders of the grouping had adopted the summit declaration at the start of the meetings on Nov 22, with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa saying then that there was “overwhelming consensus and agreement” to do so.