A view of Singapore's national icon, the mythical Merlion. Photo:VCG

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy said that the naval forces of China and Singapore are scheduled to conduct a joint drill in waters near this island Southeast Asian country on Wednesday. The drills show that defense cooperation between the two countries has become systematized and military mutual trust is growing. Singapore routinely holds joint military drills with other countries. The latest one with China is a normal defense cooperation. According to a PLA Navy spokesperson, joint operations of fleet rendezvous, communication, formation movement, and joint salvage exercises will be conducted as part of the drill. 

The common concern for China and Singapore is the safety of the Malacca Strait. The drill this time will help the two countries to build a maritime community of shared future. Meanwhile, these operations do not touch upon sensitive security or military issues, but instead focus on non-traditional spheres. Therefore, the drills have more political relevance than military importance. 

The US under US President Joe Biden will continue to focus its attention in the Asia-Pacific region. But Singapore's diplomatic orientation, which is highly representative of ASEAN member states, can exert influence on the bloc. China and Singapore marked the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties last year, and the latest drills can be seen as the start of deeper ties.

While having a close economic relationship with China, Singapore is a quasi-ally of the US. Singapore's Changi Naval Base is one of the few facilities in the world that can accommodate a US aircraft carrier. Singapore has long been viewed as striking a delicate balance between Beijing and Washington. To illustrate the point, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in an interview with CNN in 2019 that choosing between the US and China would be painful. It can be seen from Lee's remarks on various occasions that he does not want to displease either. In the virtual Davos Forum in January, he said that China must earn "legitimacy and acceptance," while the US must develop a constructive relationship with the Chinese.

It is possible that Singapore is testing the uncertain regional policies of the Biden administration with the not-so-sensitive naval drills with China. Any wise country will not put all eggs in one US basket. What is certain is that a zero-sum US strategy will not be echoed by smaller countries. It is so in Asia. And the same in Europe.

Priorities for small countries such as Singapore are security of survival. The development security comes the second. This mentality needs to be understood by bigger countries. 

In recent years, cooperation between Singapore and China has upgraded in a slew of fields such as economics, politics and security. As for the US, Lee congratulated Biden both when the latter was elected and inaugurated, and got a positive response from him. This shows the solidarity of Singapore-US relations. It could be argued that Singapore's hedging strategy, which is a continuation of the country's diplomatic posture since the Lee Kuan Yew era, has so far been successful.

US policies during the Trump era aimed to weaken multilateralism and global free trade, adding many uncertainties of a small country like Singapore which relies heavily on export-oriented economics. Singapore is looking to the new US administration. But Singapore's size prevents it from becoming the axis of the US' Asia policy. Nor could it be a decisive factor in the competition between China and the US.  

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Singapore faces enormous economic pressure. Its leadership change this year will also add some uncertainty to the country's development. If major powers intensify competition in the region, then balance will be broken. The intermediary role of Singapore is not solely decided by the island nation, but largely, too, by the trajectory of China-US relations and by both regional and global balances of power.

It can be expected that the US strategy to woo allies and partners to confront China will be weakened as the latter rises. 

The author is an associate professor at the School of Political Science and Public Administration, Shandong Youth University of Political Science. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn