Singapore at a cross road choosing between China and India

The last decade or so after the demise of LKY, Singapore has chosen to follow the Americans and played the role of little USAs, dancing like little puppets on a string, depending on which string the Americans were pulling. It has a lot of advantages, primarily it gave Singapore the luxury of punching above its weight, sitting on the shoulder of American might. Singapore was so arrogant and confident that with the Americans behind, it could kick anyone it liked, behaving like a spoilt brat.
 
China was no exception and treated just like another state to be told off, to be challenged with total disrespect as if Singapore was an equal to China’s economic and military might. The blaring at China to follow the dubious ruling of the so called ‘UN backed’ funny private court formed by one party on the South China Sea dispute was the last straw, and China hit back. It was a rude awakening, that small country could not anyhow barked at big powers and thought it could get away with it. The reality was so shocking to those that advocated punching above its weight and totally relied on and be dependent on the Americans for its security concerns. This blind belief in American power was given a rough jolt and a thorough review on this policy was undertaken. Singapore paid a heavy price for listening to wrong advice from people who had fallen asleep and did not know what was happening in the world of big power relations, people who believed in their own delusion of greatness.
 
The Americans were no longer the Americans they used to know. The China was no longer the China they knew. It was late than never to wake up to the new reality. The world has changed while Singapore happily took a nap, thinking that all was well, all was the same.
 
Subsequent to the new developments and a new awakening, Singapore took a deep breath and found that it has to reshape its position vis a vis the new balance of power. The American way is no longer the way to a safe and secure future. The belligerent and warring path of the evil Empire would only drag Singapore into more troubles and enmeshed in disputes and wars that it needed not be involved. There is a need for rebalancing and to take a new policy forward for the good of Singapore. Putting all its eggs into the American basket is not the right way or safe way going forward.
 
The Americans’ isolationist and unilateral policies of going alone and thinking American first policy make things clearer and easier for Singapore to change direction. Free trade, multilateralism and rule of law are what were good for Singapore and what Singapore stood for. But whither Singapore if it stops taking sides with the Americans blindly to create trouble all over the world, starting wars, engaging in wars and in conspiracies and in destabilizing countries and regions?
 
The two rising Asian powers in India and China were beckoning. Come join us, we are the future super powers. Should Singapore join the Indian camp and be as powerful and prosperous as India as India rises to become the next super power, or should Singapore join the Chinese growth engine and be part of the Chinese plan to rebuild the world? Would Singapore become more like India or more like China as it realigns its policies with the next winning side, the next super power after Pax Americana?
 
PS. If Chok Tong is still the PM, the direction is very clear. He is very proud of the CECA and his Indian fever and the demography of Singapore is likely to change.
 
As for Hsien Loong, after years of listening to the pro USA and Indian camp and antagonizing China, leading to the Terrex Incident, his position is now wavering. On one hand he is trying to get into the BRI band wagon and chirping that Sino Singapore relations are very good and Singapore must be neutral in big power rivalry. On the other hand, the attack on China continues in the main media with many biased and anti China articles published almost daily.
 
Where would Singapore be heading? Would Singapore become more like Mumbai or Shanghai?