In an age of instability, governments and business look to Singapore: Mike Bloomberg

LAST month’s major regional summits, hosted by Asean and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, offered a snapshot of a changing world. Even as leaders sealed deals and called for greater unity, global tension and uncertainty loomed over the talks.

And the business community has been left wondering to what extent conflict – rather than cooperation – would define the near-term future of international trade and investment.

It has already been a tumultuous decade. Five years ago, the pandemic shut down much of the global economy’s usual operations, shattering supply chains and fuelling inflation.