Hormuz is just a ‘dry run’ if China and U.S. go to war in the Pacific, Singapore foreign minister warns

singapore's foreign minister warned that a u.s.-china war in the pacific would dwarf the current tensions in the strait of hormuz. vivian balakrishnan called the hormuz situation a "dry run" during a cnbc event in singapore on wednesday. he said singapore will "refuse to choose" between washington and beijing, acting only in its own long-term interest. the u.s. is singapore's largest foreign investor with about 6,000 companies based there, while china is its largest trading partner. balakrishnan noted singapore also sits on a critical trade chokepoint: the strait of malacca, which is only two nautical miles wide at its narrowest. he cited unclos article 44, stating the right of transit passage is guaranteed and singapore will not participate in closing straits or imposing tolls.