SINGAPORE, Oct. 8 -- Singapore will not allow itself to be used as a proxy or bargaining chip in the rivalry between the United States and China, Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan has said, warning that forcing the city-state to choose sides could produce an answer neither superpower would welcome.

Balakrishnan said Singapore must preserve its independence and maintain the trust of both Washington and Beijing, even as tensions between the two powers make navigating their relationship increasingly difficult.

Speaking at the Milken Institute Asia Summit on Wednesday, he said Singapore would continue to resist pressure to align itself with either country for as long as possible, according to Singapore news portal Mothership.

"A...