An Analysis Of The Reasons For The Failure Of Small State's Grand Diplomacy Of Singapore Towards China After The South China Sea Arbitration

Singapore was founded in a rough and distressful plight,developed itself in complex domestic and international situations,and became one of the great powers in just a few decades,harvesting remarkable achievements.Small State's Grand Diplomacy led by Lee Kuan Yew has enabled Singapore to gain a relatively safe development environment and a broad foreign market,enhance its ability to withstand political,economic and security risks,improve its international influence and become the leader of ASEAN.As a country where Chinese people make up the majority of the total population,Singapore is not fettered by national sentiments in handling bilateral relations between China and Singapore,and it firmly pursues the principle of putting national interests first to maximize its own interests since its founding.In addition to establishing “Balance of Power Triangle” of the Sino-American-Soviet triangle and Sino-American-Japanese triangle successively,Singapore chose to keep a political distance from China and focus on the development of economic relations with China in order to dispel the concerns of its neighbors and the United States and Britain about its becoming “the third China” in the early years of its foundation.After the 1970 s,with the changes of the international landscape and the growth of China's strength,Singapore adjusted its strategy to develop Sino-Singapore relations in the political and economic fields comprehensively,which promotes China's stability and prosperity.For the sake of maximizing its own interests,Singapore maintained a substantive relation with Taiwan for a long time while pursuing the “one China”position,striking a delicate balance between the two sides of the straits.Singapore urged the United States to return to the Asia-Pacific region to balance China's growing influence in Southeast Asia.After the South China Sea arbitration in 2016,Singapore,a Non-sovereign claimant to the South China Sea issue,expressed supports for the arbitration result and was punished by China.In September 2017,Lee Hsien Loongvisited China,hoping to renew cordial relations with China.The punishment of China shows that Small State's Grand Diplomacy has failed in China.Most of the academic research on Singapores Small State's Grand Diplomacy focuses on its success,and there are few reasons for its failure and the reasons for its failure.This article focuses on the Small State's Grand Diplomacy in Singapore after the South China Sea Arbitration,starting from the three levels of regions,countries and individuals,using the analytic hierarchy process and the Waltz's Structural Realism Theory to analyze Singapore this time.The reasons for the failure of the Small State's Grand Diplomacy for China will help to reflect on how Singapore should adjust its strategy in China-Singapore relations and how China should handle Sino-Singapore relations in the future.