Singapore premier warns against protectionism masquerading as political and security concerns

London

WHILE countries need to address the political and security concerns that come with the freeing up of investment flows, these should not become a disguised form of protectionism, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Thursday.

He warned that restricting investments unduly will not only damage the multilateral system of trade and investments, it will also cause strategic and great power rivalry.

Such competition can be destabilising and dangerous to the world, he added.

He was speaking on free trade and threats to the global trading order at the Commonwealth Heads of Gove…