Trumponomics Live from Singapore: Keeping Globalization Alive Amid 'Geopolitical Climate Change'
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Nov 26, 2025 
Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapore's Foreign Minister and a seasoned diplomat, discusses the evolving landscape of global trade amid rising geopolitical tensions. He describes the U.S. retreat from its postwar role as a 'messy transition' and coins the term 'geopolitical climate change' to explain shifting global dynamics. Balakrishnan emphasizes the importance of new trade coalitions and highlights ASEAN's potential for deeper economic ties. He concludes with optimism, noting that many nations still seek rules-based integration to counteract instability.
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Geopolitical Climate Change
- The global order with the U.S. as underwriter is in a messy transition rather than a sudden collapse.
- Vivian Balakrishnan calls this shift a "geopolitical climate change" that predates recent shocks.
Why The U.S. Is Pulling Back
- The U.S. provided market, technology and capital that enabled postwar globalization and lifted many economies.
- Balakrishnan argues domestic political pain in the U.S. explains why it now pulls back from that role.
From Interdependence To Vulnerability
- Lack of strategic trust between Washington and Beijing makes current changes tactical not permanent.
- Weaponization of finance and supply chains turns interdependence into vulnerability and fuels partial decoupling.