Most Singaporeans rate China’s clout above US, prefer it as strategic partner: survey

Most of those surveyed on their geopolitical attitudes by research company Verian also picked China as a strategic partner for security and survival over neighbouring Malaysia and Indonesia, the US, Australia, Japan and Britain.

Leong Chan-Hoong, one of the researchers behind the poll published last Friday, told This Week in Asia the numbers showed naivety among some Singaporeans on certain geopolitical issues. “Many countries today, including the superpowers, are sensitive to supporting other nation states in need of help apart from providing financial help, military assets, and other relief supplies. This reflects the calculation of their domestic political cost.”

The study surveyed 1,539 Singaporeans based in the city state and 819 Singaporeans based abroad over the second half of last year. About 35 per cent of the overseas Singaporeans surveyed live in Australia and New Zealand, 22 per cent live in the US, 17 per cent are based in Britain while those living in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan made up 7 per cent.

Leong called the survey the first systematic investigation that distilled how Singaporeans viewed their country as a global city state, and their confidence in tackling emerging problems and identifying areas where Singapore might be complacent.