The Singaporean government, under prime minister Lee Hsien Loong, will resist pressure to reveal details of European banking clients to Western authorities, say people familiar with its position cited by the Wall Street Journal.

Amid worries about money laundering and tax evasion, European negotiators are asking the government to hand over the names of Europeans who open accounts in Singapore, said a senior European Union official.

Authorities are described as willing to concede to some demands but are ready to contest moves it thinks would endanger the island's status as a destination for overseas wealth, according to people familiar with early talks.

The authorities "will negotiate long and hard" with each country individually, a person familiar with government thinking was quoted as saying. "Singapore won't scare away its affluent foreigners."

The government "will be selective about whom it negotiates with and it will in no way give the impression that bank secrecy here will be compromised," this person continued.

"Bank secrecy is a matter of national interest for financial centres like Singapore. Anyone who expects fast information about a foreigner with a bank account here will be disappointed."

But the city-state has declined to give overseas authorities information on foreigners' bank-deposit interest or investment gains on the ground that the government can't gather this information under domestic tax law.