Bad blood unlikely, but Singapore’s Taylor Swift deal set to accelerate neighbours’ tourism plans

Singapore’s six-show deal with Swift has ruffled feathers in the region, but ties between Asean neighbours are ‘resilient’ enough to shake off the unhappiness, analysts say. “Our relations with our neighbours are far more resilient than this, and it will not make such a big impact,” said Dylan Loh, an assistant professor in foreign policy at NTU. He also warned against conflating the unhappiness of one lawmaker to a country’s view. “It could well be just lawmakers making this point … rather than a representation of a country’s position.” Agreeing, Alan Chong, a senior fellow at the RSIS, said: “Unless the Philippine tourism secretary or foreign minister repeats this accusation, then it becomes a big deal. Because if a senator says it, it can mean anything.”

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