Global trade rules must evolve for new realities of resilience and security: PM Wong
Countries should still work together to move discussions on trade forward, even if the US is not involved, says Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong speaking to journalists in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Nov 24, 2025. (Photo: MDDI)
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SINGAPORE: Global trade rules must be reworked to reflect the world’s shift from efficiency to resilience and security, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said, urging countries to press on with reforming multilateral institutions even if consensus is difficult to achieve.
Speaking to Singapore journalists on Monday (Nov 24) in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa at the end of his Africa visit, Mr Wong said there is broad recognition among world leaders that the global economic architecture is outdated.
He noted that the World Trade Organization (WTO), at the centre of the multilateral trading system, was built for an earlier era optimised around trade efficiency. "In today's world, countries are putting more emphasis around resilience and security. So you need a different balance," he said.
"You need to address today's strategic realities while still facilitating interdependency between countries, trade and investments between countries."
FINDING COMMON GROUND, EVEN WITHOUT THE US
Mr Wong began his trip in South Africa, where he attended the G20 Summit in Johannesburg. US President Donald Trump was notably absent.
Even as the world transitions to multi-polarity, the United States remains the "biggest pole" for now and its leadership remains vital in providing a global framework, said Mr Wong.
Singapore would prefer the US to be actively engaged, but if that were not the case, it "should not stop the rest of the world from coming together and finding ways on our own to guide the direction forward or to find a way forward amongst ourselves", he added.
Mr Wong said the G20 Summit, held for the first time on African soil, was a "tremendous success" despite global tensions. Leaders managed to issue a joint declaration and find common ground, he noted, describing the outcome as "very fruitful".
EXPANDING LINKS WITH AFRICA
As part of efforts to partner with African economies, Singapore announced on Monday that it will establish an embassy in Addis Ababa, its first in East Africa. This will be Singapore's third embassy on the African continent, alongside Egypt and South Africa.
The partnership, which Mr Wong announced at a joint press conference with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, provides a new market for Singapore companies in a more challenging global environment.
"We can't just stick to familiar markets, we have to look at new areas. And these new frontier areas are in places like Africa," he said.
The 1.5 billion-strong population in Africa is still growing, Mr Wong added, presenting a sizeable market for Singapore businesses and enterprises.
But beyond looking "through the narrow lens of whether Singapore benefits or not", he stressed the need for cooperation between nations.
Whether through skills or the Singapore Cooperation Programme, Singapore hopes to contribute to other countries and provide value so that they can progress, develop and grow their economies.
The efforts of small countries or countries with seemingly limited influence should not be dismissed, added Mr Wong.
"It doesn't matter whether you're small or big, whether you have geopolitical influence or not," he said.
"What matters more is, if the economies come together, we find a good platform to innovate and try something new, be it on digital trade, on supply chain resilience, the success will then speak for itself."
