Singapore and the Cold War, 1965-1991

H1 History - syllabus 8838, 2027

How a vulnerable new state managed relations with the USA, USSR and China, and responded to the Third Indochina War, and what shaped its choices.

• A vulnerable new state, 1965

  Singapore became independent in 1965 as a tiny state without resources, which made survival the core of its foreign policy.

• Relations with the USA

  Singapore supported a strong American presence in Southeast Asia as a balance against communist powers, while keeping its independence.

• Relations with the USSR

  Singapore traded with the USSR and kept diplomatic ties, but it was wary of Soviet naval power and condemned Soviet-backed aggression.

• Relations with China

  Singapore moved slowly towards China, building trade and contacts but delaying formal ties until after Indonesia in 1990.

• Singapore and the Third Indochina War

  Singapore was one of the strongest opponents of Vietnam's occupation of Cambodia, defending the principle that small states must not be invaded.

• Weighing the factors behind Singapore's choices

  National interests set Singapore's aims. Regional and Cold War developments shaped when and how it acted.

• Put it together: Singapore's choices

  Choose a relationship and see how Singapore balanced its interests.