Singapore » International Relations

Singapore was a founder member of ASEAN in 1967 and has worked hard to maintain good relations with regional neighbours. Singapore foreign policy has been designed to ensure a regional balance. Relations with China have intensified following the opening of diplomatic relations in 1990.  

Singapore's Relations with The International Community

Singapore is an active player on the world international stage through its membership of the UN, the Commonwealth, ASEAN, APEC, the WTO and the NAM. Singapore served for the first time on the UN Security Council in 2001 and 2002. Singapore is one of the five ASEAN countries currently participating in the EU/ASEAN Aceh Monitoring Mission. In keeping with Singapore’s position as a trading nation, Singapore is a strong supporter of free trade and uses its membership of APEC and the WTO to press for progress in this area. 

Trade and Investment with The UK

Singapore is the UK’s largest trading partner in South East Asia. More than 40% of all UK exports to South East Asia are to Singapore. On a global stage, Singapore is the UK’s ninth largest export market and eighth largest source of imports outside of Europe. Bilateral trade relations are excellent: there are few import tariffs and Singapore supports fully the WTO process. The UK is now the largest overseas investor in Singapore. The stock of the UK’s foreign direct investment in Singapore in 2003 was almost S$40 billion, up 20.4% from 2002.