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Singapore and Japan’s role in a changing Indo-Pacific

Renewed cooperation between both countries would remind others that respect for international law need not be defended through confrontation alone

    •  When Prime Minister Lawrence Wong met his Japanese counterpart, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in March, Japan and Singapore upgraded their relationship to a strategic partnership anchored in a framework to deepen and expand cooperation.
    • When Prime Minister Lawrence Wong met his Japanese counterpart, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in March, Japan and Singapore upgraded their relationship to a strategic partnership anchored in a framework to deepen and expand cooperation. PHOTO: BLOOMBERG
    Published Wed, Apr 1, 2026 · 02:15 PM

    AMID one of the most complex economic and security environments that the Indo-Pacific has seen in decades, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong met his Japanese counterpart, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, on Mar 18.

    The visit culminated in a historic step forward in bilateral ties, with Japan and Singapore upgrading their relationship to a strategic partnership and providing a framework to deepen and expand cooperation.

    Just one day later, Prime Minister Takaichi travelled to Washington, where she met President Donald Trump at the White House, spearheading the Indo-Pacific’s engagement with the US.

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