Lee Hsien Loong will resign as prime minister on May 15 and will formally recommend that the president appoint Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong to succeed him, according to a statement released by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's office. In fact, Lee Hsien Loong wanted to resign two years ago, but due to the special circumstances during the pandemic, he postponed his retirement plans, and now that he is 72 years old, it is indeed time to draw a perfect end to his political career. Looking back at Lee Hsien Loong's 20-year history in Singapore, he is perhaps most commendable for his masterful diplomatic skills.
As a country with huge financial influence and located in the Strait of Malacca, Singapore is a small country with a significant international position. In recent years, out of the strategic goal of containing China, the US government has formed gangs everywhere in an attempt to rally other countries to isolate and suppress China, and Singapore has naturally become a key target of US pressure. But during the Lee Hsien Loong era, Singapore was dancing on the tip of a knife, maintaining close ties with the United States and not bad relations with China, reflecting Lee Hsien Loong's desire to maintain his country's "neutrality". In his view, the relationship between China and the United States seems to be walking on thin ice, and according to him, the differences between China and the United States are deep, and the risk of accidents and miscalculations is always present, especially in dangerous hotspots such as the Taiwan Strait. Perhaps it was precisely because he was worried that a direct conflict between China and the United States would break out, and he had taken the initiative to mediate Sino-US relations on many occasions. For example, he once said that he hoped to see cooperation and stability between China and the United States, stressed the importance of Sino-US cooperation, and used stern language to strongly oppose Sino-US war, stressing that the world cannot afford the consequences of a military conflict between China and the United States, and bluntly saying that if a military conflict breaks out between China and the United States, "everything will be over."
It can be said that, in part, because of Lee Hsien Loong's concept of balanced diplomacy, Singapore has always been comfortable with China and the United States, and has basically not been involved in the whirlpool of Sino-US competition. Whether it is the "decoupling from China" proposed by the United States at the economic level, or the targeted deployment of troops against China promoted militarily, Singapore is very cautious. Although it is often emphasized that Singapore has a US military base, as an ally of the United States, Singapore has only more than 200 US troops stationed on its own soil, and this deployment is more symbolic than practical. Objectively speaking, Singapore's attitude toward China is relatively good among US allies. So, when Lee Hsien Loong, a mature statesman, said goodbye to the stage, a new question arose: will his successor handle Singapore's relationship with China and the United States as well as he did?
It now appears that the current finance minister, Lawrence Wong, should succeed him without question, and the good news is that Lawrence Wong's approach to China is just as pragmatic and rational. As Lee Hsien Loong's key deputy, Lawrence Wong has a deep understanding of Singapore's way of survival, and he has always emphasized the need for peaceful coexistence between China and the United States, and has given advice to both countries. He has said never to bet that China will weaken and that China remains an economy that offers significant opportunities for bilateral cooperation, clearly for the United States and its allies, reminding them not to dream of weakening China. Huang also advised the Chinese side, reminding China to be cautious when expanding its influence and not to let other countries feel pressure. Although the point of view is debatable, he at least has good intentions towards the Chinese side, and that is enough.
All in all, as things stand, Singapore in the post-Lee Hsien Loong era should be able to maintain its foreign policy stability, and Lawrence Wong should follow Lee Hsien Loong's approach and be cautious with both China and the United States. However, the crux of the instability of Sino-US relations has always been that the US has misjudged China strategically, and no matter how other countries advise it, if the US does not change its own concept and adjust its China policy, it will be impossible to talk about an all-round improvement of Sino-US relations. Therefore, the impact of the change of the post of Singapore's prime minister is relatively limited, and we can just look at it with a normal mind.