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BOOK REVIEW: Perspectives of Two Island Nations: Singapore - New Zealand
Editor: Anne-Marie Schleich
Published by: World Scientific Publishing, Singapore, 389pp, US$45.
Dr Anne-Marie Schleich, editor of this volume on Singapore–New Zealand relations, is a former German diplomat who was ambassador to New Zealand from 2012 to 2016. Married to a Singaporean, she is now adjunct senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.
Dr Schleich has brought together 27 prominent New Zealanders and Singaporeans to present perspectives on foreign policy, economy, sustainability, climate change, creative sectors, museums and the ageing sectors. On the bilateral front, reviews cover defence, trade and business.
This volume has been published to coincide with the 60th anniversary of Singapore–New Zealand relations. The title Perspectives of Two Island States is key: it is not (just) a volume about New Zealand and Singapore’s bilateral relationship, although this is covered in impressive detail. It includes some thought provoking and refreshing essays on a wide range of current political, social, economic and foreign policy challenges from the perspective of each country. Many of these deserve to have a life well beyond the current publication as quality analyses.
I will deal first with the specifically bilateral essays. Peter Carter’s comprehensive chapter on the ‘Establishment of the New Zealand–Singapore Diplomatic Relationship’ delves back into the early days of political contacts, from the time of Singapore’s disengagement from Malaysia. It is good to see highlighted the important role played by New Zealand diplomats such as Foss
Shanahan, Brian Lendrum, Jim Weir and others in developing links with the embryonic People’s Action Party (PAP — Singapore’s ruling party) and its feisty young leader, Lee Kuan Yew. Presciently, Shanahan thought Lee was ‘no communist’ (at a time when Lee was an unknown quantity and was thought to be flirting with the communists) and the ‘ableist man in the Legislative Assembly’. Lee’s visit to New Zealand in 1965 underscored the importance to him personally of links with New Zealand leaders at a time when Singapore was finding its own feet internationally.
Lee admired aspects of New Zealand’s welfare state and, although the closeness of the relationship weakened somewhat as Singapore’s immediate focus shifted to its near neighbourhood and the development of ASEAN, Lee retained an admiration for New Zealand (even sending his son and future prime minister, Hsien Loong, to live with Sir Frank Holmes in Wellington, evidently to ensure his son gained a wider international experience). In later years, Lee and his Cabinet colleagues remembered former high commissioner Jim Weir (1966–70) with great affection.
The essay by Tim Groser, former MFAT trade negotiator and trade minister, on the origins and early days of trans-Pacific trade partnerships, which he personally helped create and promote, is required reading for anyone interested in the development of the bilateral, and then regional, trade relationship. The New Zealand–Singapore Free Trade Agreement reflected the intentions of both states to be early leaders in driving a region-wide trade deal.
Likewise, David Capie’s essay on bilateral defence and security co-operation canvasses its origins following the Second World War, through the Southeast Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO) and then the current Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA), after Britain’s withdrawal east of Suez (announced in 1968). Despite the overall positivity of the defence connection, other reviews have identified a ‘significant capability gap between the two militaries’. Lee, too, could be critical privately of aspects of New Zealand’s defence policy, especially our air defence capability.
Gabrielle Rush, our current high commissioner to Singapore, and William Tan, her Singapore counterpart, review the current positive bilateral relationship and scope to improve co-operation. Diplomatically, mention is avoided of one area of historical concern to New Zealand: Singapore’s long-standing retention of the death penalty.
The volume contains several fine essays on each countries’ perspective of key current challenges. Former diplomat Michael Powles’s essay, written with Mary Seet-Cheng, draws on his wide diplomatic experience of the South Pacific and Asia and highlights the challenges facing Pacific Islands countries, including regional cohesion and climate change, and US–China strategic competition.
Professor Tommy Koh, Singapore’s most respected and experienced diplomat, discusses Singapore foreign policy, the growth of ASEAN and the challenges Singapore has faced (and one might add, has expertly managed) in its relations with China and the United States. Missing perhaps is an explanation of why, despite active engagement as a global citizen, Singapore had avoided putting its hand up again to serve on the UN Security Council. It has done so only once, from 2001–02, when encouraged to do so by New Zealand. I suspect Singapore now prefers to avoid the obvious entanglements which Security Council membership would involve for it in its carefully balanced relationships with the United States and China (and Russia).
Brian Easton and Manu Bhaskaran canvass economic challenges and how working together in the international arena has benefited both countries.
I found Chris Finlayson’s essay on the New Zealand government’s attempts to address Maori grievances particularly revealing, especially as it is written from the perspective of one who had a major personal and positive role to play during his time as our attorney-general during the Key administration.
There are too many contributors to this volume to review each individually, but overall Dr Schleich is to be congratulated for assembling such a varied, high-quality list. Some of the topics covered will appeal more to experts in a particular field, but there are fascinating insights here, too, for the general reader. There is always a need for quality analysis and commentary on New Zealand’s bilateral relationships. It would be great to see similar volumes published on our relationships with other ASEAN members.
New Zealand’s relationship with Singapore has matured and developed since those early days when Foss Shanahan and Jim Weir played a role much more prominent than is usual nowadays for a high commissioner. I love the comment, reported in Carter’s essay, that Shanahan, on departing Singapore at the end of his posting, broadcast a farewell speech to the people of Singapore on local radio.
New Zealand politicians have long had a fascination with Singapore, eyeing with interest, if not envy, the city state’s phenomenal economic success, ability to attract good foreign investment, its good governance, success in green urban and housing development, environmental protection, traffic management, how its politicians engage with the general voter, as well as Singapore’s success in managing its race relations. But they have not always known how best to take full advantage of the relationship. There is clearly scope for Singapore to invest more in New Zealand through its investment arm, Temasek, but, as Ken Hickson’s article indicates, the business sector is actively engaged in exploring business ventures.
At the end of the day there is no substitute for people-topeople contacts in underpinning a bilateral relationship. New Zealand and Singapore do not play cricket or rugby together, but an abiding memory of my own time in Singapore is the exuberant hero’s welcome accorded to Jonah Lomu by the wildly excited pupils of several Singapore high schools when he visited as our rugby ambassador. A relationship cannot get much closer than that!
