Singapore’s foreign minister urges broader resilience as AI, conflicts and inward politics reshape security.
Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan has warned that politicised backlash against globalisation, rapid technological change and conflicts such as the Iran war are turning interdependence into a weapon, forcing governments to rethink national security far beyond traditional defence.
Domestic Discontent And Weaponised Interdependence
Speaking on April 21 at the Asia Pacific Programme for Senior National Security Officers, Dr Balakrishnan told more than 70 officials and experts from 21 countries that domestic political discontent has led many states to repudiate globalisation, turn inward and weaponise interdependence. He said advances in artificial intelligence and digital technologies have intensified these trends, meaning national security work must now span politics, economics, technology and defence rather than focus only on conventional military threats.
Economic Shocks From The Iran Conflict
Using the Iran war as an example, he said the eight week conflict and closure of the Strait of Hormuz exposed the fragility of global supply chains and heavy reliance on maritime chokepoints for oil, liquefied natural gas and fertiliser. He warned that the resulting energy and price shocks will outlast the fighting, straining already vulnerable economies and feeding a vicious cycle in which external turbulence worsens domestic social cohesion unless governments install “circuit breakers” through stronger internal resilience.
Internal Resilience And Managing Diversity
To guard against that cycle, he said countries must address social security, education, jobs and inequality, while in multiracial and multi religious Singapore there is an added need to actively manage diversity, not leave it to market forces. That includes integrating new immigrants, creating shared problem solving opportunities for citizens and newcomers, and anticipating how foreign actors might exploit fault lines. He stressed that societies are “one incident away from a crisis,” so awareness, preparedness and appropriate laws against foreign interference and hostile information campaigns are essential.
Tripwires, Technology And A New Danger Zone
Dr Balakrishnan cautioned against diplomatic “tripwires” that lock states into escalatory responses, drawing parallels to miscalculations before World War I and warning that modern conflicts could spread across oceans, airspace, outer space and cyberspace. He said social media platforms that monetise anger, combined with AI that can power cyberattacks and autonomous lethal weapons, are turbocharging geopolitical tensions at a time when distrust hampers efforts to build guard rails for emerging technologies, leaving the world in a prolonged “danger zone.”
External Resilience And Partnerships
He argued that geopolitical fragmentation will not create self sufficient blocs, so states must balance self reliance with interdependence and work with like minded partners to keep an open, rules based, interoperable system. Singapore, he noted, has upgraded ties with Australia, France, India, New Zealand and Vietnam, forged new strategic partnerships with South Korea and Japan, expanded engagement in Africa and Latin America, and deepened practical projects with Malaysia and Indonesia. At the UN, Singapore recently joined Fiji, Jamaica and Malta in a joint statement on keeping sea lanes open under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, reflecting the view that interdependence and free trade are core to national security.
Dr Balakrishnan’s warning that weaponised interdependence, AI and fragmented politics are reshaping security highlights the need for both domestic resilience and external cooperation. Indonesians and Singaporeans stand on the same front line of chokepoint disruptions, information warfare and great power rivalry; their long term safety and prosperity depend on societies that resist polarisation, leaders who reject nativism and isolation, and regional partnerships that keep trade routes, digital spaces and diplomatic channels open and rules based.
Sources: Straits Times (2026) , Magzter (2026)
Keywords: Vivian Balakrishnan, Weaponised Interdependence, Strait Of Hormuz, Social Cohesion, Foreign Interference, RSIS Conference
