Singapore and Belgium have more in common than you think

From 24 to 26 March 2025, Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and his wife paid a state visit to our country. Like Belgium, the South-East Asian city-state has developed an open economy with efficient ports and with specialisations in high-tech and biopharmaceuticals, among others. Our FPS helped to organise the visit.

Singapore is a tropical city-state in South-East Asia with an area of 734.3 km² – 42 times smaller than Belgium. Situated between Malaysia and Indonesia, it covers a main island and 62 smaller islands. This small area is home to over 6 million people. This makes Singapore the second most populous country in the world.

All these people have homes in massive high-rise buildings, which still leaves 23% of the area reserved for forests and nature reserves. The population consists mainly of Singaporean Chinese (74.3%) in addition to Malaysians (13.5%) and Indians (9%). A very diverse range of faiths are represented, with Buddhists (31.3%), Christians (18.9%), Muslims (15.6%), Taoists (8.8%) and Hindus (5%), in addition to atheists (20%). There are also temples to be found everywhere.

No natural resources

On the face of it, the difference compared with Belgium could not be greater, yet the two countries share many similarities! For example, both are strategically located near major sea routes, have similar GDPs and have had to build their prosperity without natural resources.

This is why both Belgium and Singapore developed very open economies. These generate wealth by specialising in crucial sectors and creating favourable conditions for trade and growth. Our country, for example, can establish itself as the gateway to Europe thanks to its ports, while Singapore has become a trade and financial hub in South-East Asia. Both countries are leaders in high-tech, biopharmaceuticals, green energy and aerospace, among others.

Bridge-builders

What is more, Singapore and Belgium have very diverse cultures, languages and faiths, yet they are successful in enabling their citizens to live together peacefully. Both countries attach great importance to equal opportunities, social cohesion and inclusion – in other words, every person must be able to participate fully in social life.

Singapore and Belgium also share the belief that international problems should be solved, as much as possible, by working together in international organisations such as the UN, an approach known as 'multilateralism'. Both are driven by the need for peace, stability and respect for international law, and they nurture an image of bridge-builders seeking consensus. They are also determined to address climate disruption and protect our planet's rich biodiversity, especially our oceans.

Port of Singapore Authority

Singapore and Belgium therefore have much to offer one another, both economically and on the international stage. And all the more so today, when world peace as well as multilateralism are threatened. Indeed, in these turbulent times, it is more necessary than ever to have solid partnerships with a range of countries from diverse backgrounds.

In short, a state visit by the Singaporean presidential couple to our country was more than welcome. In addition to an official meeting with our royal couple and Prime Minister De Wever, remarkably extensive attention was paid to the economy. Although Singapore and Belgium have good trade relations, we are still observing a downward trend. In 2023, the city-state was our 29th largest supplier accounting for 2.7 billion euros and our 38th largest customer accounting for 1.8 million euros.

Much of the trade is related to our Port of Antwerp-Bruges. Incidentally, did you know that the largest foreign investment of Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) is located in the Port of Antwerp-Bruges? PSA Antwerp operates 3 terminals there, and over 80% of all containers that call at Antwerp pass through them! The Singaporean company employs 3,800 people to handle these containers. During the state visit, Singaporean President Shanmugaratnam visited the installations.

Plant cultivation

Also on the itinerary was a visit to Ion Beam Applications (IBA), a world leader in particle acceleration. IBA's proton therapy is already being used to treat cancer in Singapore as well. Besides food and energy, healthcare is one of three priorities for the South-East Asian city-state. Our country is also a welcome supplier of vaccines.

The fact that food is also a priority for Singapore should come as no surprise. Currently, the country imports 90% of its food. By 2030, however, it wants to produce 30% of its food products itself, and it is investing in research and development to help it do so. A visit to SeFy – a plant cultivation platform of the UCLouvain – made for a great deal of inspiration. With 2,000 square metres of growing space, SeFy's research areas include how to biologically control plant diseases.

At the headquarters of the Federation of Belgian Enterprises (VBO-FEB), President Shanmugaratnam was able to speak with Belgian CEOs. But the social aspect was addressed too: a round table on inclusion and social cohesion was held at the Royal Palace, where the Singaporean presidential couple, along with our royal couple, exchanged views with associations from Belgian civil society who are active in this field.

Tintin

Following a 20-year absence, a direct flight between Singapore and Brussels was not reinstated by Singapore Airlines until April 2024. This, too, is a sign of renewed commitment. In his speech, President Shanmugaratnam recalled that it was now possible to easily discover "Tintin's birthplace". For older generations, including in Singapore, Tintin provided "a fascinating window to the wider world at a time when there was little opportunity to travel".

Needless to say, the state visit – the highest-level diplomatic visit between two countries – firmly strengthened ties of friendship. As King Philippe said in his speech, "We view our interdependence not as a weakness, but as an opportunity for individual growth, that then makes each other stronger".