The Straits Times
One of the country s first generation of envoys, he came to be regarded as a guru
Mr Lee Chiong Giam s colleagues and contemporaries remember him as a self-styled farmer , amid scholars, who was a highly intelligent and shrewd guru to younger civil servants. He had a strong sense of justice and humanity, and often stood up for his staff. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
Mr Lee (back row, with his hand on his glasses) at the United Nations General Assembly in 1974. In the front row are then Minister for Foreign Affairs S. Rajaratnam and Singapore s then Permanent Representative to the UN Tommy Koh.PHOTO: UNITED NATIONS/T.CHEN
Given Singapore s deep friendships with both the United States and China, it is inevitable that the Republic will feel the tug of great power competition from time to time, said Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan yesterday. It is normal for two superpowers to try to influence others into their way of thinking, he told Parliament. But I want to stress that it is normal - in fact, it is imperative - for Singapore, or for any other countries for that matter, to want to be able to choose for ourselves, instead of being forced into making decisions by other people.
In navigating the two superpowers, Singapore must continue to maintain a consistent and principled foreign policy, said Dr Balakrishnan, adding that, put simply, this would be about saying the same thing to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi that he would to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The Straits Times
Cooperation with key partners continued in a pandemic year
Ministers say Singapore s rights and interests must also be protected
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin at a ceremony at the Causeway last July to mark the official resumption of the Rapid Transit System Link project. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan with his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi in Singapore last month. PHOTO: MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Dr Balakrishnan with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Singapore last October.LIANHE ZAOBAO FILE PHOTO
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The Straits Times
Budget debate: Carrying on cooperation with Singapore s key partners in a pandemic year
While Singapore seeks cooperation with its neighbours and others, its rights and interests are also protected.PHOTO: ST FILE
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