Beyond the two nations, Singapore must also not take its relationships with the closest neighbours, Malaysia and Indonesia, for granted, he said, adding that these were not relationships that can be managed on “autopilot”.
They require the same depth of understanding of history, political culture, and the deep forces shaping their societies – from their economic structures to their demographics, to the relationships between their different states and institutions within their own polities, he said.
During a question-and-answer session, Mr Chan was asked how Singapore should decide where it can remain open to both US and China.
To this, the minister said he was “not a fan of binary thinking” and added that it was not correct to say Singapore does not choose sides.
“We always choose Singapore’s side. We start everything from our national interest. It’s not something profound that I say today. Every country does it. Every country does that every day. Big countries, small countries – we always have to choose our own sides, which is what is in our best interest,” said Mr Chan.
Singapore has always been an open platform for collaboration due to trust, and others do not see the country as “threatening anybody”, he said.
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