Defence Minister at the 22nd Shangri La Dialogue 2025
Image credit: Ministry of Defence Singapore Instagram (@mindefsg)
At the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) 2025, Singapore Minister for Defence Mr Chan Chun Sing said that security in different regions was increasingly intertwined due to cross-boundary challenges, and that we were living in dangerous times as the rules-based global order was fraying.
Key points from his speech include:
1) Going alone was not the answer to insecurity. He said that the attempt to prioritise one’s security must be pursued alongside a firm commitment to international laws and norms. "Guardrails” such as commitment to peaceful resolution, open channels of communication, and confidence building measures were important to prevent competition from descending into conflict.
2) International cooperation started with domestic confidence. Instead of externalising one’s domestic issues, he said that it was domestic cohesion, policy coherence and leadership continuity that enabled countries to build credibility to sustain strategic partnerships, negotiate effectively, and play an active and constructive role. Domestic and external security must be mutually reinforcing.
3) All states, big or small, had agency and responsibilities to uphold the global security and economic order for common benefit. He said that Singapore was committed to work with like-minded partners for the common good, and would choose the side of principles that promoted a more integrated global economic and security order, underpinned by international law and sovereign equality.
Mr Chan concluded by appealing for openness and inclusivity, reminding all that security and prosperity depended on our ability to work together, and that a more prosperous world was a less dangerous world.