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Strategically, Singapore has chosen a pragmatic and clear-eyed path. The Prime Minister acknowledged that Singapore lacks the scale to compete with major powers such as the United States and China in developing foundational AI models. Instead, its comparative advantage lies in deploying AI “effectively, responsibly, and swiftly.” This declaration signals that Singapore has no intention of entering an arms race in model development. Rather, it aims to position itself as a global hub and testing ground for AI solutions. Instead of pursuing scale for its own sake, the country seeks to excel in application efficiency and systems integration.

Taiwan’s investment in non-China destinations has continued to rise. In 2016, investment in non-China regions surpassed investment in China for the first time, marking a key turning point. By 2022, the share had further increased to 66.4%. In 2025, investment in non-China regions accounted for as much as 96.2% of Taiwan’s total outward investment—around 12 times the level invested in China—demonstrating a highly diversified and multi-pronged outward investment pattern.

One possible solution is the introduction of a regular “thinking hour” in schools. This would be a quiet period where students are given time to think freely, without assignments, screens, or specific instructions. At first, such silence might feel uncomfortable or unproductive. Over time, however, it could help students become more comfortable with their own thoughts and encourage creativity, curiosity, and independent problem-solving.