Singapore's Great Expectation - India

With the Terrex seizure still dangling like a hot potato and the equally hot comments from the Singapore side, relations between the two country is likely to take a dip into the longkang. The corollary will be trade and economic cooperation. All the projects in the pipeline would likely be left on the backburner for a long time to come. No one in Singapore would be able to go to China to reverse the course of this divide. No one in Singapore would have the guanxi to reach Xi Jinping to resolve the differences. No one would be able to make the right phone call or contact. The Philippines have Ramos to bridge the gap. Who could Singapore rely on to do this job, Chok Tong, Boon Wan, Kan Seng, Chee Hean or Eng Hen? Or should they depend on Vivian and the MFA to mesmerise China with their diplomatic skills?

It is not too far fetch to say that Singapore has just burnt its bridge to China. Some hopefuls are still dismissing the Terrex incident as a joke, nothing serious and everything will be back to normal soon. And better still, Singapore can still have good relations with China, calling China old friends that we can be frank, transparent, throw the book of law at each other and everything will be normal. And better still, still can conduct military training in Taiwan. I think this last part is a high possibility, and Xi Jinping would say, over my dead body.

Now that China is off Singapore's list of good friends, or Singapore is no longer in China's list of good friends, Singapore would not be able to ride the Chinese economic engine of growth and would have to look elsewhere.

How about the USA? Obama is still in office and could be the link man, provided Trump still bothers to talk to him. If there is anyone for Singapore to hitch on to the American 1% growth engine, it could be Hillary Clinton, definitely not Trump. Unfortunately Hillary is out on a limp, irrelevant, history. So Trump is the only hope. Hsien Loong is reported to have invited Trump to visit Singapore. The big question is whether there will be a meeting of eyes. The agenda and policies of Trump and Hsien Loong are diametrically opposed and unless one side is going to compromise, both would go off tangentially, if they ever met. Singapore is unlikely to change its principled position, so what more is there to talk about. Trump would be too busy minding his own business and bring jobs back to the USA, including those in Singapore. Looks like the USA is a no go as well.

What about Japan, the third largest world economy? Sure, Abe and Hsien Loong are like brothers, same thinking, same agenda and same interests. They are like inseparable twins. A slight problem, what can Singapore sell to Japan? I would have a hard time thinking of anything that the Japanese would want to buy from us.

Who is left to give Singapore a lift in the economic gravy train? The next biggest engine of growth is likely to be India, the emerging super power and economic powerhouse. Europe is too embroiled with its own economic problems and would likely breakup. So looks like India is Singapore's only hope, an economic train to hitch a ride to more economic growth. Singapore can invest in a big way in India. And to get the deal, Singapore can offer to sign an even more comprehensive CECA and hopefully India would be grateful and open its legs wide wide for Singapore businesses to get in. Just don't throw in conditions like all the top management staff must be Indians for any investments and businesses in India. Singapore does not apply such conditions to Indian companies in Singapore. India nationals are all welcome to all the top management positions in Singapore companies here.

Yes, India would be Singapore's Great Expectation for the next 50 years. George Yeo and Chok Tong can play the midwives once again in the opening of the Indian market to Singapore and Singapore to India. Nevermind if there is no China, no USA, no Japan. There is always India to lend a helping hand. All the great people to people relations built over the years with so many Indian professionals and influential Indians coming and going will make doing business with India a walk in the park.

Singapore's future is made riding on the Indian economic growth engine, soon to be double digit growth. The govt, especially Chok Tong and George Yeo, have great foresight for cultivating India and tapping on India's talents to build bridges.