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Ex-economist Lawrence Wong returns to lead Singapore amid tariff turmoil
Days ahead of the general election, Lawrence Wong said in a changed world his team's mission is clear: to steer Singapore through the storm, and secure a brighter future for Singaporeans.
The economist-turned-politician Wong led his People's Action Party to a landslide win in Singapore's general election on Saturday.
The tariff war triggered by US President Donald Trump dominated his campaign.
Stating that both the US and China claim they do not wish to force countries to choose sides, but, in reality, each seeks to draw the other closer into their respective orbits, Wong pointed out how this rivalry is already reshaping the world and will continue to define the geo-political landscape for years to come.
We are in the midst of a messy transition globally. To what? Nobody can tell, he said in April third week.
Transition is not new for US-educated Wong, 52.
In May last year, he had taken oath as the prime minister in a planned political transition in the city-state.
Wong, who has held charge as the Finance Minister since 2021, succeeded Lee Hsien Loong, 72, who relinquished his position after two decades.
Before that, in April 2022, he was named the leader of the People's Action Party's (PAP) fourth-generation, or 4G, team, and in June of that year promoted to Deputy Prime Minister.
Wong is also the Secretary-General of the People's Action Party, which has been driving Singapore's economic progress for more than five decades.
He obtained his bachelor's and master's degrees in Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, respectively. He also holds a Master's in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School.
Wong is also the deputy chairman of the GIC Board and chairman GIC Investment Strategies Committee. GIC is one of the three investment entities in Singapore that manage Singapore's reserves.
According to his profile on the GIC website, Wong started his career as an economist and held positions across various government ministries, including as Chief Executive of the Energy Market Authority.
Wong was a civil servant for 14 years before joining the Ministry of Trade and Industry in 1997. He was first elected as a Member of Parliament in 2011 and served as minister of culture and national development and then the minister of finance.
He was previously Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore and was appointed Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister in June 2022, it said.
Wong honed his public service leadership skills during the COVID-19 pandemic when he was appointed co-chair of the government's multi-ministerial response committee.
After Wong took oath as prime minister in May 2024, The Straight Times described how the Forward Singapore exercise that he launched in June 2022 saw fourth-generation (4G) PAP leaders hold frequent dialogues with Singaporeans to hear their concerns and needs as the team worked on a road map for the future of the city-state.
Wong is married to Loo Tze Lui.
The Straight Times last year listed Wong as a music buff and said his favourite instrument is the guitar.
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