No man is an island…..John Donne’s familiar words ring true in today’s world where a country’s economic strength or weakness is largely determined by its trade and relationships with others. Singapore is a prime example of this. The city-state’s economy shrank 1% in the third quarter, beating expectations of a 3.6% contraction but still marking a deceleration from the 16.9% growth in the second quarter. Economists are blaming this volatility on the economy’s reliance on international trade and financial services, the very same factors which have helped Singapore achieve its relative economic success. This wealthy city-state has so much potential and vulnerability because of its strong relations with foreign markets. Patience is a virtue, indeed, as Singapore now has to patiently wait to see how the U.S. political stand-off pans out, and if the global economy can finally maintain stable growth. Read more…