{"id":39459,"date":"2026-03-26T18:28:38","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T10:28:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=39459"},"modified":"2026-03-26T18:28:38","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T10:28:38","slug":"china-has-critical-role-in-shaping-resilient-global-order-says-pm-wong-at-boao-forum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=39459","title":{"rendered":"China has critical role in shaping resilient global order, says PM Wong at Boao Forum"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\"><span class=\"dateline\">BOAO, Hainan<\/span> <!-- -->\u2013<!-- --> In a world where countries must find new ways to cooperate, China will play a critical role in shaping a more resilient global order, given its growing economic weight and capabilities, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">It is already contributing to global development and ideas through initiatives like the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank as well as the Belt and Road Initiative, and helping to set new rules in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence for trade.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">With a fresh emphasis on domestic consumption under the recently announced 15th Five-Year Plan, China is also set to further drive growth in the region.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cSingapore believes China can play an even bigger role in supporting regional prosperity and stability,\u201d PM Wong said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Speaking at the opening plenary of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/singapore\/pm-wong-arrives-in-hainan-for-boao-forum?ref=inline-article\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" class=\"gap-x-04 items-center inline text-primary-60 select-auto\" aria-label=\"link\" target=\"_blank\" data-testid=\"custom-link\"><span class=\"font-body-baseline-regular inline\" data-testid=\"paragraph-test-id\">the Boao Forum for Asia<\/span><\/a> on March 26, he\u00a0said the global environment has become more uncertain, with wars, geopolitical rivalry and multilateralism being challenged. This is straining the international system and making cooperation harder.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"China has critical role in shaping resilient global order: PM Wong\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XgjLTqzyyFU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cWe are witnessing a worrying breakdown of the institutions and norms that have long anchored the global system,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The war in Ukraine and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East have driven up food and energy prices, disrupted supply chains and raised the risk of a global slowdown.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">More fundamentally, countries are becoming less bound by international rules and more inclined to act whenever they have the power to do so, he noted.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cWhen rules give way to raw power, order breaks down, and no country \u2013 big or small \u2013 is truly secure,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>PM Wong said these geopolitical shifts were also reshaping the global economy, with countries placing greater emphasis on resilience and security. Countries are moving to reduce dependencies and reconfigure how they engage with the global economy. <\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">In such an environment, traditional multilateral agreements are harder to achieve, and countries would need more flexible ways to work together, he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cOne practical way is for smaller groups of like-minded partners to create plurilateral arrangements. These can move faster \u2013 to test ideas, set standards and deliver results.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">He cited trade agreements such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/business\/economy\/how-the-rcep-the-worlds-largest-trade-pact-benefits-singaporeans-and-businesses?ref=inline-article\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" class=\"gap-x-04 items-center inline text-primary-60 select-auto\" aria-label=\"link\" target=\"_blank\" data-testid=\"custom-link\"><span class=\"font-body-baseline-regular inline\" data-testid=\"paragraph-test-id\">Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership,<\/span><\/a> the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/business\/economy\/singapore-chile-and-new-zealand-ink-agreement-to-deepen-cooperation-on-digital?ref=inline-article\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" class=\"gap-x-04 items-center inline text-primary-60 select-auto\" aria-label=\"link\" target=\"_blank\" data-testid=\"custom-link\"><span class=\"font-body-baseline-regular inline\" data-testid=\"paragraph-test-id\">Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA)<\/span><\/a> as examples of such cooperation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">He described these groupings as a\u00a0practical way to move forward and sustain momentum.\u00a0\u201cIf designed well, these coalitions can complement and reinforce one another, and serve as building blocks for a more resilient global architecture over time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">PM Wong added that Singapore supported China\u2019s interest in joining high-standard trade agreements such as CPTPP and DEPA, although integrating an economy of China\u2019s scale would not be straightforward.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cBut doing so will bring significant benefits to the region, and strengthen the relevance of these high-standard arrangements,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">PM Wong said China\u2019s growing capabilities meant it would have an important role in shaping the next phase of global growth.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">He noted that China had placed science, technology and innovation at the centre of its development strategy and was already at the forefront in areas such as digital and green technologies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cChina is therefore well positioned not just to participate in the next wave of technological change, but to shape and lead it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The country can also help shape the region\u2019s evolving economic architecture. \u201cAt a time of growing fragmentation, the world needs strong advocates for open and rules-based trade,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cHere in Hainan, the free trade port stands as a concrete example of China\u2019s commitment to openness. We hope China will continue in this direction \u2013 supporting open markets and strengthening confidence in a predictable and stable global trading system.\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The southern province of Hainan is home to China\u2019s free trade port, a flagship reform project launched in 2020 to deepen opening up. The island now has \u201cindependent Customs operations\u201d, allowing most international goods to enter tariff-free while maintaining a separate Customs boundary from the rest of the Chinese mainland.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The Boao Forum for Asia, held annually in Hainan, brings together 2,000 representatives from government, business and academic sectors to discuss regional economic cooperation. This is the 25th anniversary of the event. <\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Ending his speech with a call to action, PM Wong said: \u201cWe can drift towards rivalry and fragmentation.\u00a0Or we can choose cooperation and openness.\u00a0If we choose well, Asia can continue to be a source of stability, dynamism and hope for the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/asia\/east-asia\/china-has-critical-role-in-shaping-resilient-global-order-says-pm-wong\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article At Source <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>BOAO, Hainan \u2013 In a world where countries must find new ways to cooperate, China will play a critical role in shaping a more resilient&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":39461,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2611],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39459","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-buzz-headlines","wpcat-2611-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39459","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=39459"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39459\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/39461"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=39459"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=39459"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=39459"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}