Singapore's independence imperative amid US-China rivalry: Vivian

Singapore

GIVEN Singapore's deep friendships with both the United States and China, it is inevitable that the Republic will feel the tug of great power competition from time to time, said Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan on Monday.

He noted: "It is normal for two superpowers to try to influence others into their way of thinking. But I want to stress that it is normal - in fact, it is imperative - for Singapore, or for any other countries for that matter, to want to be able to choose for ourselves, instead of being forced into making decisions by other people."