Is Singapore Losing the World We Relied On? An Intelligence Chief's Candid Take

Why It Matters

The shift to a multisphere order and weaponized AI raises immediate cyber and strategic risks for businesses and government in Singapore, requiring stronger defenses and contingency planning across critical sectors. How well Singapore manages these threats will affect regional supply chains, investment flows and its diplomatic leverage.

Summary

Singapore’s coordinating minister publicly warned that state-backed hackers are embedded in national networks and that frontier AI is being weaponized—an escalation echoed by intelligence expert Henry Wilkinson. Wilkinson says Singapore is a prime target because of its dense concentration of finance, media and tech activity, but notes the city-state also benefits from advanced risk governance. He frames today’s geopolitics as a “multisphere” world—fluid, domain-specific alignments rather than stable poles—where states simultaneously cooperate and compete across trade, cyber and security domains. Singapore’s traditional hedging between the US and China remains viable for now, but rising instability and technological threats heighten exposure.

Original Description

Are we seeing a fragmentation in the rules-based global order? And if so, what does this mean for Singapore?

In this episode of Lens on Singapore, Claressa Monteiro speaks to Henry Wilkinson, chief intelligence officer at Dragonfly Intelligence from Dow Jones for his expert take on the biggest geopolitical flashpoints, from the war in the Middle East, to the Taiwan question. With two decades of experience assessing risk, he discusses the looming risks for global stability and security, both in Singapore and the region.

Highlights of the conversation: 

03:05 The multi-sphere framework

05:37 Singapore’s hedging strategy

08:09 China’s ambitions in Asia

10:00 The Taiwan question

14:44 Geopolitics vs AI: Impact on business decisions

16:58 Claressa’s coffee question

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