Singapore leader sees China helping small groups realise big results for Asia

China could lead the way in Asia in forging new pathways for plurilateral cooperation, Singapore’s prime minister said, calling for smaller groups of like-minded countries to work together to address challenges in multilateralism.

Delivering a keynote address at the Boao Forum for Asia on Thursday, Lawrence Wong also said Beijing could spearhead areas such as AI governance and play a greater role in promoting economic prosperity across Asia, noting Singapore was willing to collaborate with China on a wide range of issues.

The 25th edition of the annual forum is being held in China’s southern Hainan province, hosting some 2,000 representatives from more than 60 countries and regions to discuss economic cooperation and development.

Wong referred to challenges tied to global turmoil in recent years, describing “a worrying breakdown of the institutions and norms that have long anchored the global system”. He observed that geopolitical tensions were spilling into the economic realm.

The Boao Forum for Asia is held annually in China’s southern Hainan province, drawing representatives from dozens of countries and regions to discuss economic cooperation and development. Photo: Xinhua

“Given the challenges we face, we cannot afford to wait for every country to move together at the same time and at the same speed,” Wong said, as he called for flexible approaches to cooperation.

South China Morning Post