Why the second US presidential debate makes Singapore nervous

November 8 cannot come fast enough for Singapore.

The second United States presidential debate marked the final stretch of campaigning for the White House, and the election in less than a month will be much welcomed in this part of the world.

It will put an end to a fractious electoral battle between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, and hopefully draw back a distracted US from issues in Asia that require its urgent attention. They include the South China Sea dispute, a softening economy and an increasingly assertive China.

Worryingly for Asia, these concerns hardly found a mention during the debate. Instead, it was a crude video, deleted e-mails and American taxes and heathcare that got most airtime.

As important as these issues may be to the American voters, they are of peripheral importance to Singapore. What this small country needs is a focused Washington, pushing along the Trans-Pacific Partnership, charging ahead on the war on terror and leading the way to tackle climate change.