新加坡國防發展與區域安全

Singapore Defense Development and Regional Security

新加坡扼控東南亞地區連結南中國海與印度洋的海上戰略通道，得天獨厚的地理位置加上經濟繁榮發展，益加提升其在東南亞地區的地緣戰略價值和國際政治地位。但是，新加坡資源不足、缺乏戰略縱深加上與馬來西亞、印尼之間的複雜歷史情結，內、外國防安全環境脆弱性高於鄰近國家。1960 年代後期以來，新加坡主張的區域權力平衡成為其外交政策的主軸，而且武裝部隊亦藉由嚇阻和外交強化新加坡的和平與安全。1984 年，新加坡吸取瑞士和瑞典等國家的經驗提出全面防衛的概念，從軍事、民事、經濟、社會、心理等五個層面，整合全國力量應付威脅與挑戰。近半個世紀以來，新加坡主張的區域權力平衡以及全面防衛概念為其維持了相當程度的安全與穩定，值得世界各國借鏡！

Singapore holds a strategic sea lane which links the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean in Southeast Asia. The advantages of geographic location and prosperous economics enhance geographic strategic value and international political status of Singapore. However, the resource deficiency, the lack of strategic depth as well as the historical complex with Malaysia and Indonesia cause Singapore has a higher internal and external defense and security vulnerability than neighboring countries do. Since the late 1960, regional balance of power has become the main theme of Singapore's foreign policy. Meanwhile, the armed forces apply deterrence and foreign policies to enhance the consolidation of peace and security of Singapore. Introduced in 1984, Singapore claimed the concept of Total Defence (TD), which is adapted from the experiences of countries like Switzerland and Sweden. The concept is comprised of five aspects, namely Military Defense, Civil Defense, Economic Defense, Social Defense, and Psychological Defense. This concept integrates whole country's strength to against external threats and challenges. In the past half century, the concepts of regional balance of power and the Total Defence sustain a certain level of security and stability of Singapore. It represents that these two concepts claimed by Singapore would be worth learning for other countries.