Singapore | Council on Foreign Relations

Southeast Asia

How Southeast Asian States Are Responding to the Growing Middle East Conflict

Most Southeast Asian governments have issued muted statements regarding Israel's war with Hamas, except for Indonesia and Malaysia, the two largest Muslim-majority countries in the region.

Blog Post by Joshua Kurlantzick October 9, 2023 Asia Unbound
Singapore

Singapore’s Social Contract Is Starting to Fray

The PAP has made unbending integrity central to its identity, magnifying the damage the recent scandals have done to the party.

Article by Joshua Kurlantzick August 23, 2023 Asia Program
Singapore

Is Singapore's Stability Unraveling—And What Will it Mean for the PAP?

A series of scandals have upset Singapore's typically stable politics.

Blog Post by Joshua Kurlantzick and Abigail McGowan August 17, 2023 Asia Unbound

Singapore

A Conversation With Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan of Singapore

Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan discusses Singapore-U.S. relations, the future of ASEAN and its geopolitical and economic significance, international trade and economic trends, the role of small states in the rules-based international order, and U.S.-China relations.

Virtual Event by Vivian Balakrishnan June 15, 2023
Southeast Asia

Russia’s Ties to Southeast Asia and How They Affect the Ukraine War: Part 3, Singapore and Vietnam

The latest in our series on Southeast Asian relations with Russia looks at two important U.S. partners.

Blog Post by Joshua Kurlantzick April 7, 2022 Asia Unbound
Asia

A Conversation With Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong discusses Singapore's perspective on current geopolitical developments, the United States engagement of the Asia-Pacific, and U.S.-China relations.

Virtual Event by Lee Hsien Loong March 30, 2022

Southeast Asia

Cambodia Begins Oil Production, But Who Will Benefit?

Late last year, Cambodia finally began oil production, from offshore fields in the Gulf of Thailand. A joint venture between the Cambodian government and Singaporean company KrisEnergy Ltd started pr…

Blog Post by Joshua Kurlantzick January 7, 2021 Asia Unbound
Southeast Asia

Elections Have Consequences in Singapore Too

Meredith Weiss is professor and chair of political science in the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy of the University at Albany, SUNY. As anticipated, the incumbent People’s Action …

Blog Post by Guest Blogger for Asia Unbound July 27, 2020 Asia Unbound
Southeast Asia

Singapore’s Election: The PAP Triumphs, But Long-Term Trends Suggest a Viable Opposition

In last Friday’s election, Singapore’s long-ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), as usual, won a large share of the seats in parliament. With roughly 61 percent of the total vote, the PAP took eighty-…

Blog Post by Joshua Kurlantzick July 13, 2020 Asia Unbound
Southeast Asia

Dents to Ruling Party in Singapore Election

By the normally staid, unchanging standards of Singapore politics, Friday’s election appears to be delivering significant changes. Though official results are not yet out as I write this, initial cou…

Blog Post by Joshua Kurlantzick July 10, 2020 Asia Unbound
Southeast Asia

Will COVID-19 Make This Year’s Election Different for Singapore’s Ruling Party?

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong declared in a televised address last week that Singapore would hold its next general election on July 10. Lee and other members of the long-ruling People’s Action Party…

Article by Joshua Kurlantzick July 2, 2020 Asia Program
Southeast Asia

Singapore’s National Elections: Will a Pandemic, and a Shifting Society, Lead to a Different Result?

Last week, the Singaporean prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong, of the long-dominant People’s Action Party (PAP), declared that the city-state would hold its general election on July 10. The prime minist…

Blog Post by Joshua Kurlantzick July 2, 2020 Asia Unbound
COVID-19

Singapore: The Limits of a National Response

The recent rise in COVID-19 cases in Singapore shows that there are limits to what national responses to a global pandemic can achieve.

Blog Post by Simon Tay and Kevin Chen April 21, 2020 Asia Unbound
Singapore

Singapore: A Small Asian Heavyweight

Singapore, one of the world’s wealthiest and most trade-dependent countries, punches above its weight in regional and global affairs.

Backgrounder by Ankit Panda April 16, 2020
COVID-19

Can the U.S. Emulate Asia’s Coronavirus Response?

As the coronavirus outbreak worsens, the U.S. government should learn from initial responses in Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan.

In Brief by Joshua Kurlantzick March 18, 2020 Asia Program