Overview

At the height of the Cold War in Southeast Asia, the foreign relations between the United States and Singapore demonstrated the interplay between America’s strategy of containment and Singapore’s efforts at a non-aligned foreign policy. But there is a deeper story. American involvement in the Vietnam War not only held back the spread of communism in Southeast Asia, but also catalysed economic and strategic cooperation between the United States and Singapore. The author argues that Singapore might not have achieved its success so rapidly without the support of the US. As the war in Vietnam raged on, Singapore became a critical refueling point, also providing ship and aircraft repair for the US military. Commercial and strategic support from the United States lifted Singapore out of the economic doom predicted for the city-state after secession from Malaysia, cessation of Indonesian trade during Konfrontasi and Britain’s military withdrawal. By considering the importance of the US’s role in Singapore’s nation-building, this book provides an important supplement to the well-trodden narrative that attributes Singapore’s success to good governance.

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9789814722322

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Daniel Chua deftly guides the reader through the complexities and nuances of this emerging relationship and in so doing, sheds new light on Singapore's relations with the U.S. during the former's first decade of independence. [...] In addition, his study provides fascinating insights into the twists and turns of Singaporean foreign policy at a crucial juncture in Asia's regional politics. [...] a solid work of international history which makes a welcome contribution to the growing literature on the role of small regional powers in the unfolding of the Cold War in Southeast Asia. - H-Diplo Roundtable Review, Vol. XX.5

"""Daniel Chua deftly guides the reader through the complexities and nuances of this emerging relationship and in so doing, sheds new light on Singapore’s relations with the U.S. during the former’s first decade of independence. [...] In addition, his study provides fascinating insights into the twists and turns of Singaporean foreign policy at a crucial juncture in Asia’s regional politics. [...] a solid work of international history which makes a welcome contribution to the growing literature on the role of small regional powers in the unfolding of the Cold War in Southeast Asia."" — H-Diplo Roundtable Review, Vol. XX.5"

Author Information

Daniel Chua is assistant professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

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