The United States is Singapore’s most important strategic partner. Similarly, the role Singapore plays in American strategic presence in the Asia-Pacific is unique and critical.

Within a web of defence relationships that the US possesses in the Asia-Pacific, the Singapore-US strategic partnership stands out because the depth of its commitment stops short of mutual defence treaties. Instead, Singapore’s defence relations with the US focus on shared interests and avoid the entanglements of mutual defence commitments.

This week, the two countries agreed to boost defence ties through the signing of an agreement that paves the way for enhanced cooperation in a broad range of areas, including, for the first time, cyber defence and biosecurity.

… The writer is a Research Fellow with the Military Studies Programme at the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS).