SINGAPORE — Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on May 25 called for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East and urged the lifting of the blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, following talks in Beijing aimed at bolstering regional stability and cooperation.
Speaking after the meeting, Dr Balakrishnan said both sides stressed the urgent need to restore maritime traffic through the Hormuz shipping lane and praised Pakistan’s mediation efforts. The ministers also reiterated their commitment to a rules-based international order and the importance of upholding international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, to ensure unimpeded passage for ships and aircraft in international waterways.
The discussions come amid a flurry of high-level diplomacy in Beijing this month, where Chinese leader Xi Jinping has hosted both Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump. Singapore’s delegation is on a wider working visit to China, North Korea and South Korea from May 24–28; Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong recently completed a visit to Guangxi and Shanghai on May 22.
Singapore’s foreign ministry said the two ministers agreed to deepen bilateral cooperation in emerging fields such as the green and digital economies and to enhance supply chain resilience. They also exchanged views on regional and global developments and welcomed stronger ASEAN-China engagement; Singapore will chair ASEAN in 2027.
Wang described relations with Singapore as a priority for China, calling for continued high-level exchanges, expanded practical cooperation and closer people-to-people ties. He framed both countries as stabilising forces in a shifting global landscape and reaffirmed support for multilateralism and free trade.
On cross-strait relations, Dr Balakrishnan reiterated Singapore’s long-standing “one China” policy and opposition to Taiwanese independence or unilateral attempts to alter the status quo, affirming support for peaceful management of cross-strait ties.
The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed since Feb. 28 after the outbreak of the US-Israel war with Iran, contributing to heightened diplomatic activity aimed at ending the conflict. Washington and Tehran on May 25 showed little optimism about a near-term breakthrough in negotiations. Dr Balakrishnan is scheduled to depart Beijing for North Korea on May 26.