Singapore: A key priority for Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will be to deepen the trade-focused country’s relations with the major powers, especially the US and China, engaging with them honestly in a principled manner while not getting caught in their rivalry.Speaking after his newly re-elected government was sworn-in on Friday, Wong stressed, “Where our interests align, we will work with them (the US and China). Where they do not, we will stand firm and protect Singapore’s security and sovereignty.”He also added that the first priority would be to secure an “assured place” for Singapore in this “changed world”. Singapore, said Wong, will also seek new ties with countries in parts of the world, like Africa and South America, where it does not have much presence yet. “In a world of shifting alliances, we will be a steady and constructive partner, one willing and able to contribute to peace and stability, to advance dialogue and fraternity, and support a rules-based global order,” he said. “Our goal is not just to navigate this uncertain world, but to help shape it for the better, by working with like-minded partners, and upholding shared principles and values, so that small nations too have a place under the sun,” he said. The country’s economic strategies will be reviewed and updated for the new landscape, he said, adding that the government will develop “a new economic blueprint for our next phase” to sustain Singapore’s competitive edge and create good jobs for Singaporeans. It will also help businesses, households and workers “weather the storm” as global growth slows in the near term, added 52-year-old Wong who secured a landslide win in the May 3 general election. Wong’s first electoral outing as head of the country’s fourth-generation leadership saw the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) taking 87 out of 97 seats in the country’s 15th Parliament. Wong noted that when issues of race and religion surfaced in the recent election, “we did not allow them to divide us”, a sign of how far multi-ethnic Singapore has come as a society, and a reminder that racial and religious harmony cannot be taken for granted. The government will also prepare Singapore for the future, particularly in speeding up the transition to cleaner energy and adapting to the realities of climate change, he said. “The international community and investors would have taken note of these outcomes. They would see a nation that is united, standing firmly behind its leaders, and placing confidence in a government with the strength and security to secure Singapore’s place in an unpredictable world,” he said. President Tharman Shanmugaratnam presided over the swearing-in ceremony of Singapore’s new Cabinet at the Istana (Presidential Palace).
