Singapore's 'durian strategy': stability as strength, PM Wong says
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong likened Singapore to a durian, saying its stability, security and reliability are key strengths in a volatile world. He outlined responses to global shifts, including AI adoption and trade weaponisation, at a DBS conference.
Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has described the nation's survival strategy using the durian, the region's most divisive fruit, saying its stability is its greatest asset in an era of global chaos.
Speaking at a DBS conference in a fireside chat with chief executive Tan Su Shan, Wong said: "We are bottoming up our stable, we are secure and we are trusted and reliable. I think these are good attributes. Long may that continue."
Wong identified two major forces reshaping the global landscape: the unraveling of the American-led order, which he said could create a "leadership vacuum" where international rules are breached with impunity, and the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution advancing at "unimaginable" speed.
Asked how businesses should navigate this volatility, Wong said Singapore cannot compete on cost alone, so it must compete on strengths and value. The nation is positioning itself as a connector between North Asia's advanced manufacturing and Southeast Asia's resources, accounting for 10 per cent of global semiconductor production and 20 per cent of packaging and testing.
Wong emphasised building a regional ecosystem with Johor, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand to reinforce mutual capabilities and create a compelling proposition for multinational corporations.
On the weaponisation of trade and payments, Wong said Singapore's response is to maintain good relations with all major powers, build self-reliance and remain economically relevant. "Others may try to squeeze us, but they will find that Singapore is quite painful to squeeze," he said, stressing heavy investment in defence and economic relevance.
On AI, Wong said Singapore is not trying to be an AI-driven society but a better society enabled by AI, with non-negotiable principles of safety, human accountability and broad benefit. He warned that as AI replaces routine work, the "bottom rung of the career ladder" may break, and urged companies to pay attention to this.
Returning to the durian metaphor, Wong said Singapore does not try to be something it is not, focusing instead on being stable, secure and trusted. "Boring," he suggested, is exactly what the world needs.
