李显龙拆解中美关税困局，新加坡能否成“避险港湾”？

It is a problem which in America has led to the pressures and the grievances and dissatisfaction, which have led the government to pursue all these very drastic policies. Because they have certain parts of America which have been left behind, industries all doing badly. They call it the Rust Belt. These are places where the industries have all done badly and the workers have no jobs, and populations are left out. The blue-collar workers in America, their jobs across the country have not done well, their incomes have not done well. Their lives have been blighted by drugs, by unemployment, by crime. Left behind, they voted for a drastic change and they want to break the system, they want a different world.

We must never allow our population or some parts of our population to feel like that. We are going to have stresses and strains too, because there will be retrenchments if there is a recession elsewhere, there will be dislocation if supply lines are interrupted. There is going to be dislocation also if technology comes and we are not prepared for it. If AI comes, if robotics come on a big scale and your jobs are taken away or transformed and you cannot do the new job, you are out of a job, it is no comfort to say that GDP has gone up, but my life is not better. So far, we have prevented that from happening in Singapore. I think in this situation, we must do double to make sure it does not happen.

If you can do all that – look after the households, look after the physical needs, make sure we psychologically prepared – then we can also address the political issue, which is to unite as one Singapore team, working closely with the government. And you need to have a good government, an effective government, a strong government, in order to take care of Singapore. And it has to be strong domestically, in order to be strong internationally.

Let me explain this. I think when you say on foreign policy, Singapore must speak with one voice, I think everybody will agree. Even the opposition agrees. And when you go overseas in a parliamentary delegation, people from different parties, we join the same parliamentary delegation, and we go representing Singapore. But the opposition goes one further. They say, well, overseas, we stand together. Domestically, let’s challenge. Now, that is a problem. Why is that a problem? I tell you, I have been attending international conferences for 20-something years – in fact, for 30, 40, years, but last 20 years at PM. Now, fortunately, PM Wong is doing it. But let me tell you my experience from these conferences. We meet each other regularly, because the conferences happen every year, every other year. This time I see you, maybe next time I see your successor. And in some countries, every time I go to a conference, I see a new PM. Sometimes, I see the PM, I look at his delegation, I see some of the faces there, I read the newspapers, I know that some of those people are hoping to be the next PM. And sometimes it turns out so. So when you meet each other, I assess you, you assess me. I will ask myself, “I am talking to you now. Your Excellency, Prime Minister, yes, sir.” Will you still be here in five years’ time? Will your policy still be here in five years’ time? Can I do business with you, commit and we do something, make a plan? To build a factory may take two, three years. To breakeven on the factory may take 10, 20 years. If you are not going to be here, can I make a deal? So I assess them. Do you think they assess me? Of course! They will see what is happening. They will have their embassies here writing reports. And if you have different views in Singapore, embassies say, well, this PM makes very good speeches, but actually he has a lot of political problems at home. When you meet them, you will be received with the courtesies, but I think they are not carrying the same weight, and you will not be able to defend and advance Singapore's interests in this state.

On the other hand, if they know you are on top of your situation at home, if they know you have strong support, good support, they know you are in touch with your population and you have got your domestic issues well under control, then they take you seriously. In fact, they will ask you, “By the way, your healthcare system I hear is not bad, tell me how you do it.” Or, it has happened to me once, we were discussing corruption. This was quite early in one of my first APEC meetings as PM and one of the big countries said to me, “Singapore, tell us how you combat corruption.” They know about us. They want to know how it works. Makes a big difference.

Therefore, to be effective internationally, to be strong at all, you have to be united domestically. And when people say, Singapore is a safe haven. In an uncertain world, in Singapore, you have security, you have safety. That is why people want to put family offices here. That is why people want to deposit money here. That is why people have confidence and put factories worth billions of dollars here, which take 20, 30 years to pay back, because of Singapore being a safe haven. And one big part of that safe haven, one big factor, is stable politics, good politics.

I know that many Singaporeans want more opposition and if you ask why, they will say, well, we would like a stronger check and balance on the PAP. And I would say the opposition has a role to play in our democratic system. It is here to stay. Opposition MPs are never going to disappear from Parliament. I accept this. That is the way democracies work. We started in a very unusual position with almost overwhelming PAP presence in Parliament, almost zero opposition. And now there is significant opposition, and I do not think that is ever going to...