A Sino-Singapore Partnership with Multilateral Impact

The Straits Times

13 November 2015

For many, the highlights of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent state visit to Singapore were the bilateral outcomes such as the upgrade of a bilateral free trade agreement and a new government- led project in western China.

But the most crucial outcome of the Chinese leader’s visit last week is the new partnership established between the two countries that is aimed at charting the future of the Singapore-China relationship and cooperation. This could in turn determine China’s larger economic and strategic direction.

In a nutshell, the “All-Round Cooperative Partnership Progressing with the Times” – as the two sides call it – marks China’s desire for Singapore to help catalyse its domestic development especially in the inland regions, hasten its integration with external economies and reshape its often-troubled relations with neighbours.

All these efforts, if successful, could have a knock-on impact on regional and global dynamics, and ultimately Singapore’s long-term fortunes, which could make the Republic’s decision to enter the partnership a far-sighted move.

… Associate Professor Li Mingjiang of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies believes the partnership might have come about due to its growing assessment that the relationship with Singapore should be more comprehensive and cover the short planks in areas such as strategic, military, security and regional policy consultations.

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