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Asia and Oceania
Singapore |
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Last reviewed: 05 November 2009 |
Country information
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Singapore’s foreign policy has been designed to ensure a regional balance. Singapore was a founder member of ASEAN in 1967 and has worked hard to maintain good relations with regional neighbours. It hosted the thirteenth ASEAN summit in November 2007 as ASEAN Chair. Relations with China have intensified following the opening of diplomatic relations in 1990.
Singapore's Relations with the International Community
Singapore is an active player on the world international stage through its membership of the UN, the Commonwealth, ASEAN, APEC, the WTO and the NAM. Singapore served for the first time on the UN Security Council in 2001 and 2002. Prime Minister Goh was the driving force behind biennial Asia Europe Meetings (ASEM). Singapore was one of the five ASEAN countries that participated in the EU/ASEAN Aceh Monitoring Mission. In keeping with Singapore’s position as a trading nation, Singapore is a strong supporter of free trade and uses its membership of APEC and the WTO to press for progress in this area. Singapore will be the host economy for APEC in 2009. This year's theme will be "Sustaining Growth, Connecting the Region", focusing on facilitating trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as measures to support economic growth, address the global economic crisis, accelerate regional economic integration, and resist protectionism.
Singapore's Relations with the UK
The UK co-operates with Singapore on a wide range of international issues. Singapore's first-ever non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council (2001/02) intensified bilateral contacts on key issues affecting international peace and security. The UK and Singapore have also been closely co-operating in the area of counter terrorism and counter proliferation, both politically and operationally.
Defence co-operation with Britain is based on the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA), which involve annual joint exercises with the other partners (Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand), triennial meetings at Cabinet ministerial level and biennial Chiefs of Staffs meetings.
Cultural Relations with the UK
Education links are strong. More than 3,000 Singaporeans are currently studying in the UK and the British Council estimate that around 80,000 UK qualifications are awarded annually in Singapore. Through the Prime Minister's Initiative 17 new partnerships between UK universities and their counterparts in Singapore have been formed to build research exchanges and to support mobility programmes for UK students. Links in the arts are also strong with many British artists and organisations being invited to perform.
The British Council has a large presence teaching English to around 20,000 Singaporeans and foreign nationals. Current British Council projects focus on the internationalisation of education, developing young leaders to take action against climate change and the exchange of knowledge and expertise in the arts and creative industries.
Recent Visits
2009
- June - Lee Kuan Yew, Minister Mentor
- April - Wong Kang Sent, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, Chiang Chie Foo, Permanent Secretary, Prime Minister's Office and Yong Ying-I, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health.
- April - Masagos Zulfikli, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Home Affairs
- March – George Yeo, Minister for Foreign Affairs
- March - Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Minister for Finance
- February – Peter Ho, Permanent Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
- February - Amy Khor, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources
- February - Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports
Visits to Singapore
2009
- August - Stephen Timms MP, Foinancial Secretary
- June - Andrew Michell, Shadow International Development Secretary
- May - Baroness Taylor, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for International Defence and Security and Sir Jock Stirrup, Chief of Defence Staff of Her Majesty's Armed Forces
- May - Lord Puttnam
- April/May - Baroness Neville-Jones, Shadow Security Minister and Natioal Security Adviser to the Leader of the Opposition
- April - Lord Davies, Minister for Trade and Investment
- February - Sir Reg Empey, Minister for Employment and Learning in the Northern Ireland Executive
- January - Gareth Thomas, Minister for Trade & Investment
