Minister Vivian Balakrishnan’s interview with Bloomberg for the ASEAN Business Summit 2022

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan was interviewed by Bloomberg on 15 March 2022 for the ASEAN Business Summit. Watch the full interview here.
See full transcript: go.gov.sg/btv1...
Video credit: Bloomberg
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00:00 Intro
00:05 Ukraine has been making headlines just about every day and Singapore made headlines when it decided to impose sanctions on Russia. Quite a rare decision on the part of a small nation like Singapore, what was the key reason behind the decision?
01:27 Why was it so important for Singapore to make a stand now?
05:30 Would you have thought twice about imposing sanctions if that nation happens to be China, for instance?
07:32 How do you expect China to respond?
08:52 Are there echoes of a new Cold War?
10:35 Given your concerns, the US has come out to say, or rather there are some suggestions, perhaps, that the US is trying to build an Indo-Pacific NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation). What are your thoughts on that?
11:50 Why was it so difficult for ASEAN to come to consensus?
13:45 Does it pose a challenge to ASEAN centrality? Would it erode ASEAN’s relevance going forward? Especially when it comes to geopolitical challenges?
15:59 There is rising geopolitical tensions everywhere in the world. Do you think at some point, this will lead to an arms race?
19:12 Russia's attack on Ukraine prompted concerns that China could do the same to Taiwan, and China has come out to say that is a completely different scenario. How are you assessing the risk?
20:40 I want to quickly touch on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, which some say - perhaps you included - say that it has been politicised, as something that can be used against China.
21:24 But is trade being politicised?
23:52 What are you looking out for from China to prevent that bifurcation which you are concerned about?
24:45 How long do you think this war will last? Will it be a protracted war?
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