There are many opportunities for Singapore and Japan to deepen their relationship amid the Covid-19 pandemic and global challenges, speakers at the 14th Japan-Singapore Symposium have said. The speakers included Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Chee Hong Tat, Japan’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Eiichiro Washio, Singapore’s Ambassador-At-Large Tommy Koh, and Waseda University professor Yukiko Fukagawa. In a panel discussion, RSIS Research Adviser and NTU Professor Joseph Liow pointed out that the geopolitical concept of the Indo-Pacific was problematic for Asean. The grouping’s approach has been to remain equidistant from both the United States and China, even as it continues to recognise the importance of the United States’ role in the region, said Professor Liow, who is Dean of the CoHASS.