It’s been a busy month for Prime Minister Lawrence Wong as he concluded his visit to Japan (Mar 17 – 19) and China (Mar 25 – 28).
During the diplomatic blitz, PM Wong reaffirmed Singapore’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with both countries.
With over 60 years of diplomatic relations, Singapore and Japan have enjoyed a long-standing friendship.
As a developing country in the 1960s, Singapore benefited from Japan’s technical expertise. During the 1970s, Japanese companies began investing in our local economy. As a result, there are now more than 5,000 Japanese companies in Singapore. Together, they help create over 100,000 jobs for Singaporeans.
Japan is also one of the most popular holiday destinations for Singaporeans, with hundreds of Singapore families flocking to picturesque tourist sites in Tokyo and Osaka during school holidays.
Following PM Wong’s visit, our cooperation with Japan is set to be strengthened further. In a joint statement, PM Wong and his Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi announced an upgrade of bilateral relations to a “Strategic Partnership”.
Given the global turmoil and unease, this could not have come at a more opportune time. After all, Singapore has long relied on a network of strong, reliable friends to build its resilience as a nation.
“Japan is one of these friends,” said PM Wong.
“The elevation to a Strategic Partnership will enable us to do more together…in terms of AI, quantum space and cyber security,” he added.
During Budget 2026, PM Wong shared that the government has identified these frontier industries as key growth clusters for the future.
By deepening our cooperation with Japan, we will be able to tap into their industrial strength and capabilities in these new technologies.
“That will be beneficial to Singapore and Singaporeans,” said PM Wong.
Strengthening Singapore’s engagement with China
As Singapore’s largest trading partner, China’s importance cannot be understated. A strong, trusted relationship is beneficial to both countries.
It is no surprise that PM Wong has made it a point to visit China almost every year since entering politics.
Following a successful visit last year, which saw bilateral ties between Singapore and China upgraded to an “All-Round High-Quality Future-Oriented Partnership”, PM Wong paid a visit to the port cities of Hainan and Hong Kong in March.
In Hainan, PM Wong gave a keynote speech at the Boao Forum on how countries must find new ways to cooperate in a fragmented world.
“Singapore also believes that China can play an even bigger role in supporting regional prosperity and stability. China’s vast domestic market can be a powerful engine of growth for the region,” said PM Wong.
“Here in Hainan, the Free Trade port stands as a concrete example of China’s commitment to openness. And we hope China will continue in this direction – supporting open markets, and strengthening confidence in a predictable and stable global trading system.”
In separate meetings with Zhao Leji, Chairman of the National People’s Congress, and Hainan Party Secretary Feng Fei, PM Wong reaffirmed the partnership with China to cooperate on the green and digital economies, and was kept abreast of the progress Hainan Island has made as a free trade port, respectively.
As it goes, chicken rice is not the only thing Singapore has in common with Hainan.
“Singapore and Hainan share a similar outlook as open, connected hubs. We both do better when trade flows freely,” shared PM Wong.
With Hainan as a hub connecting China with the ASEAN market, PM Wong is also confident that these developments will “open up new opportunities” for Singaporean businesses.
After Hainan, PM Wong travelled to Hong Kong, where he met up with Chief Executive John Lee.
“We exchanged views on how our cities can navigate a more complex and uncertain global environment — and where we can work more closely together,” shared PM Wong.
With Singapore and Hong Kong sharing common ground as financial hubs in Asia, there are many areas where both can cooperate. These include tourism, research and innovation.
“Singapore and Hong Kong each have their strengths. By working more closely, we can reinforce one another and contribute to the wider region’s growth and resilience,” added PM Wong.
Ultimately, for Singapore, building good relations with different countries has never been a zero-sum game. Building good relations with all parties, while acknowledging fundamental differences are not mutually exclusive.
“As far as a small country is concerned, it is helpful to have maximum strategic space for us to operate,” said PM Wong.
“And that means cultivating and maintaining good relations with as many powers as possible as we can.”
Spending time with Singaporeans overseas
Besides meeting with foreign leaders, PM Wong also took the time to reconnect with Singaporeans overseas. This has been the tradition of many of our foreign visits, where we strengthen connections, not just with foreign powers but with our own as well.
Upon landing in Tokyo, PM Wong caught up with the 4,000-strong Singaporean community, some of whom travelled across Japan to be there, shared PM Wong.
In Hong Kong, which is home to one of our largest overseas communities of more than 20,000 Singaporeans, the Singapore spirit is also flying high.
“Grounded, resilient, and quietly confident — wherever we go,” noted PM Wong. That is how our tiny community carries the Singapore brand out into the world.
And wherever Singaporeans may be, they can take comfort in knowing that they are never far from home — with a nation that stays connected, and stands ready to look after its own, no matter the distance.
