Friday, March 28, 2014

Singapore: Small state, big arms purchases...

Singapore's determination to remain independent has fuelled a military expansionism - but in a fast-changing global security environment, the militarised city-state may be forced to take sides.

"Our immediate part of the world is changing dramatically," said Singaporean Defence Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen during a recent unveiling of Singapore's defence plans.

In his opening remarks, the defence minister of this city-state of five million people alluded to the difficult balancing act Singapore has had to master since its independence. "In the latter half of the 20th century, US dominance in both security and economic spheres was unchallenged, and it provided the security umbrella for this region. In the 21st century, China's rise as an economic and military power is redefining the power dynamics in the Asia-Pacific," he said.

Singapore's foreign policy has long been based on economic partnerships, yet it has refused to enter into any military alliances to preserve these economic interests. Instead, it has devoted a large share of its budget to defence spending, transforming this once-small British outpost into a force to be reckoned with. Between 2008 and 2012, Singapore accounted for four percent of all global weapons imports, making it the fifth-largest importer of military hardware, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

The country now spends 25 percent of its annual budget on defence. Its military spending has skyrocketed from $600m annually at the start of the 1980s to $12bn in 2013. By comparison, neighbouring Malaysia - whose population is more than five times bigger than that of Singapore - spent just $5bn last year. Full story...

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