Top priority for new Govt is securing an assured place for Singapore in a changed world: PM Wong

The conditions that once underpinned success are shifting, he says at swearing-in

- Goh Yan Han

The new Government's first priority is to secure for Singapore an assured place in a changed world, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

With major world powers reassessing strategies and shifting positions to gain the upper hand, competition is intensifying, and smaller nations risk being caught in the crossfire, or being cut out of the conversation altogether, he warned.

"Singapore will not stand still. We cannot afford to be passive. We must be clear-eyed, proactive and adapt nimbly to the shifting dynamics," he said on May 23, at the swearing-in ceremony of his new Cabinet at the Istana.

In a world that is more uncertain and unpredictable than before, the conditions that once underpinned success are shifting, he said.

"The rules-based international order, which formed the foundation for peace, security and free trade, is fraying.

"Multilateral cooperation is giving way to a tangle of bilateral and transactional deals, where might often makes right."

He added: "Our goal is not just to navigate this uncertain world, but to help shape it for the better - by working with like-minded partners, upholding shared principles and values, so that small nations too have a place under the sun."

This will be done on several fronts.

The Government will deepen Singapore's relations with the major powers, especially the United States and China, he said.

"We will stay friends with both, without being caught in their rivalry. We will engage openly and honestly with each, in a consistent and principled manner.

"Where our interests align, we will work with them. Where they do not, we will stand firm and protect Singapore's security and sovereignty."

The Republic will also strengthen its ties with friends near and far, while seeking new ones in parts of the world such as Africa and South America where it does not yet have much presence, PM Wong added.