新加坡虽是弹丸之地,但战略地位却极其重要。新加坡海峡、马六甲海峡作为亚太与中东联系的重要通道,历来受到各国尤其是强国的重视。二战后一位英军的高级将领在回忆录中曾不无遗憾地说到,失去新加坡是英国最大的败仗。战后,日本把马六甲海峡作为其最重要生命线——西南海上交通线的关键, Although Singapore is a small place, its strategic position is extremely important. The Straits of Singapore and the Strait of Malacca, as important channels for connecting Asia-Pacific with the Middle East, have always been valued by all countries, especially the powerful ones. After World War II, a senior British general who said in his memoirs regrettably said losing Singapore was Britain’s biggest defeat. After the war, Japan regarded the Malacca Strait as the key to its southwestern maritime traffic line, its most important lifeline.