Singapore leader sees China helping small groups realise big results for Asia
Beijing could also spearhead areas like AI governance and play greater role in promoting economic prosperity, he adds
China could lead the way in Asia in forging new pathways for plurilateral cooperation, Singapore’s prime minister has said, calling for smaller groups of like-minded countries to work together to address challenges in multilateralism.
The 25th edition of the annual forum is being held in China’s southern Hainan province, hosting some 2,000 representatives from more than 60 countries and regions to discuss economic cooperation and development.
Wong referred to challenges tied to global turmoil in recent years, describing “a worrying breakdown of the institutions and norms that have long anchored the global system”. He observed that geopolitical tensions were spilling into the economic realm.
“Given the challenges we face, we cannot afford to wait for every country to move together at the same time and at the same speed,” Wong said, as he called for flexible approaches to cooperation.