Singapore: Background and U.S. Relations
Emma Chanlett-Avery
Specialist in Asian Affairs
February 25, 2011
Congressional Research Service
7-5700
www.crs.gov
RS20490
CRS Report for Congress
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repared for Members and Committees of Congress
Singapore: Background and U.S. Relations
Summary
A former colonial island trading and military outpost of the far-flung British Empire, the tiny
Republic of Singapore has transformed itself into a modern Asian nation and a major player in the
global economy, though it still largely restricts political freedoms in the name of maintaining
economic growth. Singapore’s heavy dependence on international trade makes regional stability
and the free flow of goods and services essential to its existence. As a result, the island nation is a
firm supporter of both U.S. international trade policy and the U.S. security role in Asia, but also
maintains close relations with China. The U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (FTA) went into
effect in January 2004.
The People’s Action Party (PAP) has won every general election since 1959, aided by a
fragmented opposition, Singapore’s economic success, and electoral procedures that strongly
favor the PAP. In 2010, new changes to the constitution guarantee that more non-PAP members
will be represented in the parliament, but opposition candidates’ campaigning is likely to be
limited by existing controls over freedom of speech and assembly.
As one of the closest U.S. partners in ASEAN, Singapore is a supporter of closer American
engagement in Southeast Asia. Maintaining strong relations with both China and the United
States is a keystone of Singapore’s foreign policy. Singapore often portrays itself as a useful
balancer and intermediary between major powers in the region. China’s economic power makes it
a crucial component of trade policy for all countries in the region, but Singapore’s ties with
Beijing are multifaceted and extend to cultural, political, and educational exchanges as well.
Singapore adheres to a one-China policy, but has an extensive relationship with Taiwan and has
managed it carefully to avoid jeopardizing its strong relations with Beijing.
In 2009, Singapore was the 11th largest U.S. trading partner with $22 billion in U.S. exports.
Since the U.S.-Singapore FTA entered into force on January 1, 2004, exports to Singapore have
increased 73%. In addition to trade, mutual security interests strengthen ties between Singapore
and the United States. A formal strategic partnership agreement outlines access to military
facilities and cooperation in counterterrorism, counter-proliferation of weapons of mass
destruction, joint military exercises, policy dialogues, and shared defense technology.
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Contents
Historical Background ................................................................................................................ 1
Government and Politics ............................................................................................................. 2
U.S.-ASEAN-China Relations..................................................................................................... 3
Burma............................................................................................................................. 3
Economy .................................................................................................................................... 4
U.S.-Singapore Relations ............................................................................................................ 4
Trade and Investment ............................................................................................................ 4
Defense Cooperation............................................................................................................. 5
Counterterrorism Strategy ........................................................................................................... 5
Human and Civil Rights Issues.................................................................................................... 6
Figures
Figure 1. Map of Southeast Asia.................................................................................................. 2
Contacts
Author Contact Information ........................................................................................................ 7
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Singapore: Background and U.S. Relations
Historical Background
An island city-state located astride key
SINGAPORE STATISTICS
shipping lanes at the southern tip of the Malay
Population: 4.6 million
Peninsula, Singapore’s economic and strategic
Area: 647.5 sq. km. (about 3.5 times the size of the
importance exceeds its small size. Founded in
District of Columbia); one main island and 58 islets;
1819 by British East India Company official
extensive land reclamation
Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, Singapore’s free
Ethnic Groups: 77% Chinese; 14% Malay; 8% Indian; 1%
trade status has been a major factor in its
other
success. Singapore achieved home rule in
Language: Chinese (official); Malay (official and
1959 and joined with Malaya, Sabah, and
national); Tamil (official); English (official) widely used in
Sarawak to form the Federation of Malaysia in
business, professions, and schools
1963. Within two years, friction between the
Life Expectancy at Birth: female, 85 years; male, 79
Malay-dominated federation government and
years
the Chinese-dominated Singapore
Literacy: 92.5%
administration led to the separation of
Singapore from Malaysia. Amid serious
GDP (PPP): $235.7 billion (2009 est.); Per Capita
doubts about its viability, Singapore became a
$50,300 (2009 est.)
separate independent nation in 1965.
Trade: exports $268.9 billion; imports $245 billion
(2009 est.)
Source: CIA World Factbook
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Figure 1. Map of Southeast Asia
Source: Magel an Geographix (1993)
Government and Politics
Singapore’s parliamentary-style government is headed by the prime minister and cabinet, who
represent the majority party in Parliament. The president serves as a ceremonial head of state, a
position currently held by former Singapore ambassador to the United States S.R. Nathan. Lee
Hsien Loong has served as prime minister since 2004. Lee is the son of former Prime Minister
Lee Kuan Yew, who stepped down in 1990 after 31 years at the helm. The senior Lee, widely
acknowledged as the architect of Singapore’s success as a nation, reportedly continues to wield
considerable influence with the title of Minister Mentor.
The People’s Action Party (PAP) has won every general election since 1959, aided by a
fragmented opposition, Singapore’s economic success, and electoral procedures that strongly
favor the PAP. In the last parliamentary elections in May 2006, the PAP secured a decisive
victory, capturing over 66% of the vote and 82 of 84 seats. Singapore has universal suffrage, and
parliamentary elections are held at least every five years. The next elections are due to be held by
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February 2012, but are likely to be held sooner. In 2006, the opposition parties picked up a
marginal degree of support in terms of the percentage of overall votes cast, but only managed to
maintain their two existing seats. The seats are held by veteran lawmakers from the Workers’
Party and the Democratic Alliance party. In 2010, new changes to the constitution guarantee that
more non-PAP members will be represented in the parliament, but opposition candidates’
campaigning is likely to be limited by existing controls over freedom of speech and assembly.
The electoral reforms may be an acknowledgement by the PAP that it must adjust to a more open
and diverse Singapore if it is to survive in the years to come. Singapore’s leaders have
acknowledged a “contract” with the Singaporean people, under which individual rights are
curtailed in the interest of maintaining a stable, prosperous society. Supporters praise the
pragmatism of Singapore, noting its sustained economic growth and high standards of living.
Others criticize the approach as stunting creativity and entrepreneurship, and insist that
Singapore’s leaders must respond to an increasingly sophisticated public’s demand for greater
liberties for economic survival. The expanding presence of the internet may be threatening to
some of the leadership; recently the government has attempted to tighten its control over
bloggers, who may not exercise the same restraint as the mainstream media in limiting criticism
of the ruling party.
U.S.-ASEAN-China Relations
Singapore has been a strong champion of raising the profile of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN), compromised of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar,
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, which helps the mostly small countries to “punch
above their weight,” in regional diplomacy, particularly vis-à-vis China. As one of the closest
U.S. partners in ASEAN, Singapore is a supporter of closer American engagement in Southeast
Asia, but voiced disappointment in a perceived lack of U.S. involvement in the region during the
Bush Administration. Renewed U.S. engagement under the Obama Administration has pleased
Singapore and may have allowed it more diplomatic space to stand up to Beijing on key issues.
Maintaining strong relations with both China and the United States is a keystone of Singapore’s
foreign policy. Singapore often portrays itself as a useful balancer and intermediary between
major powers in the region. China’s economic power makes it a crucial component of trade policy
for all countries in the region, but Singapore’s ties with Beijing are multifaceted and extend to
cultural, political, and educational exchanges as well. There are frequent high-level visits between
the leaders of Singapore and China. Singapore adheres to a one-China policy, but has an
extensive relationship with Taiwan and has managed it carefully to avoid jeopardizing its strong
relations with Beijing. Taiwan and Singapore have held large-scale military exercises annually for
over 30 years and, in 2010, announced the launch of talks related to a free-trade pact under the
framework of the World Trade Organization.
Burma
Burma has been an area of particular contention: the United States supports a more hardline
approach of economic sanctions, while ASEAN members have supported a softer policy of
engagement. Singapore has come under criticism from some pro-democracy groups for trading
with Burma, as well as allowing Burmese officials to hold assets in bank accounts in Singapore.
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Singapore officials dispute the claims, but the city-state’s strict bank secrecy laws have prevented
them from providing specific rebuttals.
Economy
Singapore boasts highly developed infrastructure, including one of the world’s busiest and largest
ports, a top-ranked international airport, modern expressways, and a state-of-the-art mass rapid
transit system. In terms of commerce, it is one of the world’s largest foreign exchange centers and
one of Asia’s largest financial services centers. Singapore’s major industries include electronics,
particularly computer peripherals; petroleum refining and petrochemicals; construction; food and
rubber processing; and shipbuilding and repair. The government plays a major role in directing
the export-oriented economy and providing infrastructural support for the strong manufacturing
and services sectors.
For more than two decades until the 1997 Asian financial crisis, the country achieved annual
growth rates of 8%-9%. Real GDP growth averaged 6.8% between 2004 and 2008, but contracted
2.1% in 2009 due to the global financial crisis. The government’s $14 billion stimulus package
introduced in 2009 drove a strong recovery in 2010, and economists predict a return to
sustainable growth in the years ahead. The stimulus measures included a jobs and training
program, personal income tax rebates, a business financing scheme, and investment in public
sector construction.
China, Malaysia, and the United States are Singapore’s largest trading partners. Singapore has
concluded at least 18 free trade agreements (FTAs), is pursuing several more, and is pushing
aggressively for full implementation of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) and a range of other
regional trade pacts. Such agreements are relatively easy for Singapore to negotiate because, in
addition to having a mature, globalized economy, it has virtually no agricultural sector and its
manufacturing is limited to specialized sectors.
Singapore may face increased scrutiny of its bank secrecy laws. Singapore seeks to become an
Asian headquarters for multinational corporations, including banks. Singapore also aims to
become a sanctuary for the world’s wealthy by offering them an attractive living environment and
by providing private banking services to wealthy clients. They reportedly manage an estimated
$150 billion in private wealth (compared with $1.7 trillion managed by Swiss bankers). The
government provides tax incentives for overseas wealth to be held there.
U.S.-Singapore Relations
Trade and Investment
In 2009, Singapore was the 11th largest U.S. trading partner with $22 billion in U.S. exports.
Since the U.S.-Singapore FTA entered into force on January 1, 2004, exports to Singapore have
increased 73%. Singapore and the United States are among the several nations on both sides of
the Pacific involved in the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership (TPP). U.S. foreign
direct investment (FDI) in Singapore (stock) was $82.6 billion in 2007 (latest data available), a
5.3% increase from 2006. After Japan, Singapore receives the most U.S. foreign direct investment
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in Asia, concentrated mostly in the manufacturing, wholesale trade, information technology, and
professional scientific, and technical services sectors.
Defense Cooperation
In addition to trade, mutual security interests strengthen ties between Singapore and the United
States. Bilateral military access agreements allow the United States to operate resupply vessels
from Singapore and to use a naval base, a ship repair facility, and an airfield on the island-state.
The U.S. Navy also maintains a logistical command unit—Commander, Logistics Group Western
Pacific—in Singapore that serves to coordinate warship deployment and logistics in the region.
As part of the agreements, squadrons of U.S. fighter planes are rotated to Singapore for a month
at a time, and naval vessels make regular port calls. Changi Naval Base is the only facility in
Southeast Asia that can dock a U.S. aircraft carrier. Singapore forces also train regularly in the
United States.
In July 2005, President Bush and Prime Minister Lee signed the “Strategic Framework
Agreement” to formalize the growing bilateral security and defense relationship in
counterterrorism, counter-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, joint military exercises,
policy dialogues, and shared defense technology. The agreement builds on the U.S. strategy of
“places-not-bases” in the region, a concept that allows the U.S. military access to facilities on a
rotational basis without bringing up sensitive sovereignty issues. A 1990 Memorandum of
Understanding was updated in 2005 to continue to provide the United States with access to
Singapore’s military facilities.
Singapore supported the U.S.-led coalitions in the Iraq war and Operation Enduring Freedom in
Afghanistan, allowing American aircraft and ships access to Singapore bases. It also deployed
several contingents of transport aircraft and ships to Iraq and contributed policemen to help train
Iraqi police. In support of reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan, Singapore has contributed
medical and construction engineering teams to Bamiyan and Oruzgan provinces. In addition,
Singapore participated in international counter-piracy efforts in the Gulf of Aden in 2009-2010.
Counterterrorism Strategy
Singapore has been at the forefront of anti-terrorist activity in Southeast Asia. A terrorist attack on
the city-state could jeopardize its standing as the region’s financial and logistical hub. Shortly
after the September 11 attacks in the United States, Singaporean authorities launched aggressive
operations to counter terrorist activities. Under its Internal Security Act, Singapore arrested
dozens of suspected Islamic militants, 16 of whom remain in detention, as of January 2009. Many
of the militants are alleged to be members or sympathizers of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), a designated
foreign terrorist organization with reported links to Al Qaeda. In 2002, Singaporean authorities
reportedly uncovered a JI plot to bomb the U.S. Embassy and other Western targets in Singapore.
Singapore has signed a number of multilateral and bilateral agreements focused on
counterterrorism. It was a founding member of Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), a program
that aims to interdict shipments of weapons of mass destruction-related materials and was the first
Asian country to join the Container Security Initiative (CSI), a series of bilateral, reciprocal
agreements that allow U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officials at selected foreign ports to pre-
screen U.S.-bound containers. Singapore has focused particular attention on maritime security
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measures, urging other littoral states in Southeast Asia to work together to protect critical
shipping lanes. In addition to ongoing coordinated patrols of the Straits of Malacca and
Singapore, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia launched a joint security initiative to provide
maritime air surveillance of the Straits in 2005. Singapore was also instrumental in establishing
the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships in
Asia (ReCAAP) to promote cooperation against piracy and armed robbery at sea in Asia.
Human and Civil Rights Issues
Although it has been elected by a comfortable majority in every election since Singapore’s
founding, the PAP “uses the government’s extensive powers to place formidable obstacles in the
path of political opponents,” according to the U.S. State Department’s 2009 Country Report on
Human Rights Practices. The report states that “the PAP has maintained its political dominance in
part by developing voter support through effective administration and its record in fostering
economic prosperity, and in part by manipulating the electoral framework, intimidating organized
political opposition, and circumscribing the bounds of legitimate political discourse and action.”
According to Amnesty International, defamation suits by PAP leaders to discourage opposition
are widespread. The PAP ideology stresses the government’s role in enforcing social discipline
and harmony in society, even at the expense of individual liberties.
In September 2008, Singapore’s longest-serving opposition politician, J.B. Jeyaretnam, died of a
heart attack. In 1981, he was the first opposition candidate to defeat a PAP candidate for a seat in
parliament. His political career was marked by characteristic obstacles from the ruling party,
including being forced to declare bankruptcy for failing to pay libel damages to prominent PAP
members. His death leaves only one prominent opposition figure, Singapore Democratic Party
leader Chee Soon Juan, who was recently ordered to pay over US$400,000 in libel charges for
defaming former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and other figures. (Two other opposition
politicians serve in parliament, but are less well known.)
Opposition figures are not the only targets of such lawsuits. In November 2008, Singapore’s high
court found The Wall Street Journal in contempt of court for commentary published in two
editorial pieces and imposed fines of over US$16,000. The editorials had commented on Chee’s
latest court case as well as cited recommendations for judicial reform published by the
International Bar Association. Similar fines have been levied on Western media in the past,
including the Economist, Far Eastern Economic Review, and the Financial Times. Reporters
Without Borders assigned Singapore a ranking of 147 out of 167 countries in its annual survey of
respect for press freedom.
Under Lee Hsien Loong, Singapore has largely maintained its stringent social restrictions but
indicated some increased tolerance, such as allowing indoor opposition party gatherings. In his
National Day Address in August 2008, Lee announced some modest liberalizing measures,
including a relaxation of censorship of political films and approval of peaceful demonstrations in
a public park. Although Lee has emphasized the need to adapt, he also remains adamant that a
multi-party liberal democracy is not an appropriate model for Singapore.
Under the Internal Security Act, the government can prohibit or place conditions on publications
that incite violence; advocate disobedience to the law; arouse tensions among ethnic, religious,
and linguistic groups; or threaten national interests, national security, or public order.
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Author Contact Information
Emma Chanlett-Avery
Specialist in Asian Affairs
echanlettavery@crs.loc.gov, 7-7748
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