Singapore's Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said Wednesday that rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz could serve as a "dry run" for a potential conflict between the United States and China in the Pacific, highlighting the growing strategic importance of global maritime chokepoints.
"What you're witnessing now in the Strait of Hormuz is just a dry run … The biggest variable is not just what happens in the Middle East, but what happens in the Pacific," Balakrishnan said at CNBC's CONVERGE LIVE event in Singapore.
Singapore To 'Refuse To Choose'
When asked if the city-state was under pressure from the U.S. and China to choose between them, Balakrishnan reiterated that Singapore will not align exclusively with either Washington or Beijing despite deep ties with both.
The U.S. remains Singapore's largest foreign investor, while China is its biggest trading partner.
"We will refuse to choose…we are acting in our own long-term national interest… we will be useful, but not be made use of," he told CNBC.
The minister stressed that the primary geopolitical focus lies closer to Asia, where shifting dynamics between the U.S. and China — rather than energy markets — will shape the future.
"The revolution in AI, the revolution in biotechnology and the revolution in renewable energy, on all those counts, I would submit to you, the real action is in the Pacific," he said.
No Tolls In Malacca
Balakrishnan's remarks come amid disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz caused by the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, sharpening focus on other key maritime chokepoints such as the Straits of Malacca and Singapore that link Asia with Europe and the Middle East.
The diplomat stressed that Singapore, along with Malaysia and Indonesia, is committed to keeping the Strait of Malacca open under international law.
"The point here is that all three countries have a strategic interest and are strategically aligned in keeping it open," Balakrishnan said. "We will not participate in any attempts to close or interdict or to impose tolls in our neighbourhood."
