PREDATORY PRAGMATISM: THE COLD WAR AND THE SINGAPORE-REPUBLIC OF CHINA DIPLOMATIC RELATIONSHIP, 1965-1973

Abstract

Predatory Pragmatism explores the diplomatic relationship between Singapore and the Republic of China (ROC) between 1965 and 1973. It argues that Singapore exploited the Singapore-ROC diplomatic relationship to mitigate various complications posed by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on the island-state’s national security. It introduces the label predatory pragmatism to characterise Singapore’s exploitative, self-serving, and opportunistic diplomatic conduct towards the ROC. It draws upon archival materials from the Australian, British, and Taiwanese foreign ministries to illustrate how predatory pragmatism underpinned Singapore’s diplomacy towards the ROC. This thesis contributes to studies on the history of Singaporean foreign relations. It challenges prevailing laudatory and understandings of Singapore’s foreign policy of pragmatism. It also contributes to the scholarly literature on the international history of the Cold War in Asia by illustrating how small states like Singapore exploited Cold War divisions to further their national interests at the expense of other small states.