The world has faced increased challenges, with huge pressure on multilateralism, free trade, and openness since the beginning of last year, Peter Tan Hai Chuan, Singapore’s ambassador to China, warned at an event at Renmin University in Beijing on Tuesday.
“But Singapore and China have common interests – upholding the rules-based international order,” he said at the event hosted by the university’s Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies.
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“Small countries need stability and large countries need predictable development.
“An open, connected and cooperative region serves our common interests.”

Still, Beijing has not officially endorsed the concept of the rules-based international order and has been widely accused by the West of challenging it.