Singapore has the world’s best passport. So what? - Asia Specific podcast, BBC World Service

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Singapore doesn’t just have the best passport in Asia. By some metrics, it has the best passport in the world. What does that really mean though? Click here to subscribe to our channel 👉🏽 https://bbc.in/3VyyriM Singaporeans can travel to 193 countries without a visa. Chinese, in contrast, can travel to just over 80 countries visa-free. In fact, the top three countries with the strongest passport are all in Asia - Singapore, Japan, and South Korea. How did they rise to the top - and remain there for almost two decades? What are the material benefits - and trappings - for the passport holders? And what does a strong passport say about how the country practices diplomacy? In this Asia Specific podcast, host Mariko Oi, who holds a Japanese passport, chat to BBC senior journalist Derek Cai, who holds a Singapore passport. Also on the podcast is BBC Indonesia’s Famega Syavira who holds an Indonesian passport - which ranks 68th on the list. 00:00 - Coming up 00:15 - Introduction 02:07 - What makes a strong passport? 02:30 - Mariko and Derek bickering over whose passport is stronger 03:00 - Famega’s passport woes as she travelled overland from Asia to Africa 04:18 - How Famega managed her visa challenges passing through China, Russia, and Europe 05:00 - The amount of admin Famega needed to sort out when applying for a tourist visa in Indonesia 06:05 - Why Singaporeans are allowed into so many countries without a visa 08:37 - How Indonesians feel about their passport when compared to other South East Asian countries - especially Malaysia 11:08 - How a weaker passport affects career opportunities 12:30 - The benefits of having a stronger passport 13:17 - Why Derek is ashamed after hearing Famega’s visa application challenges 14:20 - Travelling is a privilege and a dream for many Indonesians 15:50 - How a Singaporean passport stacks up against a European passport 17:18 - Why the US passport is losing strength and the Chinese passport is gaining ground 19:23 - Famega to Mariko and Derek: “You guys are privileged!” Watch more episodes of Asia Specific here 👉🏽 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz_B0PFGIn4c3njIxB0KHuO8SS2mBMtUc Instagram: @bbcworldservice Email: [email protected] Presenter: Mariko Oi Producer and Video Journalist: Derek Cai Camera: Muhammad Firdaus Bin Mohd Ansary, Rosalehin Bin Rosli, Aimran Supardi Editor: Bill Birtles ---------------- This is the official BBC World Service YouTube channel. If you like what we do, you can also find us here: Instagram 👉🏽 https://www.instagram.com/bbcworldservice Twitter 👉🏽 https://twitter.com/bbcworldservice Facebook 👉🏽 https://facebook.com/bbcworldservice BBC World Service website 👉🏽 https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldserviceradio Thanks for watching and subscribing! #BBCWorldService #WorldService #asiaspecific #asiaspecificpodcast #Singapore #Japan #Indonesia #passport