Singapore’s Policy in the Asia-Pacific: ASEAN and Open Regionalism

Singapore’s policies and approach towards the Asia-Pacific region are guided by conservative pragmatism dictated by two imperatives—the geographical constraints of a small city state without a hinterland or natural resources, and the constant need to stay economically competitive and politically relevant in order to survive and thrive. This chapter begins with an overview of the historical development of Singapore and then zooms in to focus on its foreign policy thinking and development approach and examines how these then translate into actual policy and posturing in its immediate neighbourhood and the broader Asia-Pacific region.