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Singapore’s Balakrishnan warns Hormuz just a ‘dry run’ if US, China clash

The geopolitical fallout from the Strait of Hormuz chokehold in the Middle East is just a “dry run”, with the Pacific being where the real…

By Samantha Johnson / April 22, 2026
The geopolitical fallout from the Strait of Hormuz chokehold in the Middle East is just a “dry run”, with the Pacific being where the real action will occur if superpowers were to clash, Singapore’s top diplomat has warned.
Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan also revealed on Wednesday that Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia shared an interest in keeping the Strait of Malacca open, even under the spectre of tolls being imposed on the strategic Southeast Asian waterway.

During a panel at CNBC Converge Live in Singapore, Balakrishnan was asked if the city state was under pressure from the United States and China to choose between them given the current geopolitical climate.

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“Not yet for us,” he said at the forum at Jewel Changi Airport.

Ships and boats in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Musandam, Oman, on Monday. Photo: Reuters
Ships and boats in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Musandam, Oman, on Monday. Photo: Reuters

He noted that when he engaged US President Donald Trump, he reminded the American leader of the significant “good skin in the game” Washington wore in Southeast Asia in the form of foreign direct investment, which was more than in India, China, Japan and South Korea combined.

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