Vivian Balakrishnan

A Conversation with Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Singapore | Asia Summit 2026

Vivian Balakrishnan, Richard Ditizio

Following the collapse of the post-1965 US-China globalization model, middle powers like Singapore are pivoting to "just-in-case" supply chains and strategic autonomy to navigate rising geopolitical friction and demographic shifts. While the US and China grapple with internal polarization and economic imbalances, Singapore is leveraging its "trust premium" to maintain utility to both superpowers without becoming a proxy, simultaneously advocating for international rules governing emerging technologies like AI and synthetic biology. This approach underpins a broader ASEAN vision to integrate as a composite economic raft, positioning the region to capture growth in AI and semiconductors while mitigating the volatility of a fractured global order.