An Inwardly Focused Hong Kong: A Strategic Advantage for Singapore?

As Hong Kong’s leadership comes under increasing pressure from Beijing to double-down on its COVID-19 containment strategy, Singapore finds itself in an opportunistic position. Amidst a mass exodus of businesses and expats from Hong Kong, Singapore stands to regain its status as the leading Asian global trade hub through strategically implemented border control measures known as “Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs”), which allow for quarantine-free travel for fully vaccinated travellers from an increasing number of major cities and trade hubs. These VTLs remain a crucial lifeline as Singapore moves toward COVID-endemicity.