Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan was interviewed by Bloomberg on 15 March 2022 for the ASEAN Business Summit. Watch the full interview here.
See full transcript: go.gov.sg/btv15mar
Video credit: Bloomberg
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00:00 Intro
00:05 Ukraine has been making headlines just about every day and Singapore made headlines when it decided to impose sanctions on Russia. Quite a rare decision on the part of a small nation like Singapore, what was the key reason behind the decision?
01:27 Why was it so important for Singapore to make a stand now?
05:30 Would you have thought twice about imposing sanctions if that nation happens to be China, for instance?
07:32 How do you expect China to respond?
08:52 Are there echoes of a new Cold War?
10:35 Given your concerns, the US has come out to say, or rather there are some suggestions, perhaps, that the US is trying to build an Indo-Pacific NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation). What are your thoughts on that?
11:50 Why was it so difficult for ASEAN to come to consensus?
13:45 Does it pose a challenge to ASEAN centrality? Would it erode ASEAN’s relevance going forward? Especially when it comes to geopolitical challenges?
15:59 There is rising geopolitical tensions everywhere in the world. Do you think at some point, this will lead to an arms race?
19:12 Russia's attack on Ukraine prompted concerns that China could do the same to Taiwan, and China has come out to say that is a completely different scenario. How are you assessing the risk?
20:40 I want to quickly touch on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, which some say - perhaps you included - say that it has been politicised, as something that can be used against China.
21:24 But is trade being politicised?
23:52 What are you looking out for from China to prevent that bifurcation which you are concerned about?
24:45 How long do you think this war will last? Will it be a protracted war?
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