Dr Balakrishnan said he hoped that there will be clarifications from US authorities in the next few days, but that these are domestic political issues.
“The situation confronting our students is not confined to Singapore, but indeed to all international students,” he said. “It is not directed at us. Nevertheless, you can become affected as collateral damage.”
He added that it is in the interest of both countries keep opportunities open to Singaporeans who want to study and even work in the US.
“I hope we will be able to find suitable solutions for our students who want to pursue educational opportunities in the United States.”
“NO HURDLES”
Dr Balakrishnan also said there were no challenges in interacting with his US counterparts during his trip.
“There were no hurdles or impediments interacting with the Americans … We got along in our own usual direct and constructive manner,” he said, adding that there was no anxiety on that front.
“The anxiety is that we have reached the end of a world order that has prevailed for 80 years, and we are now in a period of transition to a new world order.”
Singapore has benefited from open trade and free flow of investments and the multilateral rules-based order, he said.
“That is clearly changing, and the time of greatest danger is the interregnum – the transition period from one world order to the next. That is why this is a time where we need to be alert, we need to keep our eyes and ears open, and we need to respond promptly and quickly to changes.”
It is also important to interact frequently, candidly, openly and constructively, especially with a superpower which is of “great strategic importance to us”, he said.
In response to a question on how tariff discussions are going, Dr Balakrishnan said it will take time because the US is looking for multiple rounds of negotiation with its trading partners.
