Relationship dossier
Japan
Singapore
Relationship assessment
Japan and Singapore sustain a broad partnership in trade, security and regional affairs.
Japan toward Singapore
+55Japan has supported bilateral economic cooperation through the Japan-Singapore Economic Partnership Agreement and has pursued closer security ties, including arrangements for defense equipment and technology cooperation. In 2022, the governments committed to deepen their strategic partnership.
Singapore toward Japan
+55Singapore has maintained the bilateral economic partnership through the Japan-Singapore Economic Partnership Agreement and engaged Japan in security and defense cooperation. In 2022, the governments committed to deepen their strategic partnership.
Overall relationship
+55The relationship rests on a long-standing economic agreement and has expanded into practical security cooperation and a strategic partnership. These durable, multi-sector ties outweigh any specific bilateral friction recalled in this assessment.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Japan and Singapore maintain a broad, sustained partnership spanning trade, security and regional cooperation. The Japan-Singapore Economic Partnership Agreement provides a durable framework for economic ties, while defense and security arrangements and a 2022 commitment to deepen the strategic partnership add practical cooperation. Both governments also work together through regional and multilateral forums.
Key developments
Japan and Singapore signed the Japan-Singapore Economic Partnership Agreement, creating a bilateral framework for economic cooperation.
Japan and Singapore signed an agreement concerning the transfer of defense equipment and technology.
The governments committed to deepening the Japan-Singapore strategic partnership, including cooperation in security and other fields.
Major uncertainties
- The extent and implementation of newer security and defense cooperation initiatives are unclear.
- The scale of current joint projects under the strategic partnership is unclear.