SINGAPORE – The world is in a state of flux, and countries big and small have to do their part to manage geopolitical tensions and rivalry carefully so as to minimise the risk of conflict and war, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

In an interview with Chinese state broadcaster CCTV ahead of his first visit to China as prime minister, he said a key priority is to discuss broader regional and global developments with Chinese leaders, and explore how both countries can work together to strengthen multilateralism and the rules-based international order.

He also said that he hopes to build closer ties with the Chinese leaders, especially with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang.

His visit from June 22 to June 26 was announced on June 20 by Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun, who said PM Wong will be meeting Mr Xi, Mr Li and Mr Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People’s Congress.

The visit comes as strategic rivalry between the United States and China has triggered supply chain disruptions, technological decoupling, and growing fears that other countries may eventually be forced to pick sides. The US has also imposed sweeping tariffs on much of the world, including Singapore, with particularly high duties on China.

“We are in the midst of a very messy and unpredictable transition,” PM Wong said in the interview, aired on the CCTV programme Leaders Talk on June 20. He noted that the US had helped shape the global order after World War II – an order that benefited all countries, including China and the US itself – which is now under strain as America signals a desire to pull back from it.

“There is no country in the world today that can replace the US, no one. So what is our alternative? I think frankly, at this stage, no one knows the answer,” he said. 

PM Wong said it will take time for a new equilibrium to emerge. Unlike the post–Cold War era, which was dominated by a single superpower, he believes the new global order will be shaped by countries both large and small.

But in the meantime, the transition is potentially dangerous. “Without clear global leadership and coordination, there are many things that can go wrong in this world,” he warned, urging all countries to manage geopolitical tensions and rivalry carefully...