November 29, 2016
Singapore, an independent city-state that is composed demographically of mostly ethnic Chinese citizens, has come under fire officially from Beijing because Singaporean-manufactured armored personnel carriers had been discovered in Hong Kong SAR, by People’s Republic of China (PRC) authorities.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said yesterday that China has asked Singapore to “strictly abide by the laws of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), and cooperate with the SAR government on all necessary follow-ups”.
#China protests to #Singapore over military ties to #Taiwan https://t.co/r8Orag5rot
— Miguel Chanco (@mc_economist) November 28, 2016
The vehicles were en route from Taiwan to Singapore, where it is believed that Taiwan and Singapore had been conducting joint military exercises.
A Singapore military team arrived in Hong Kong on Saturday to make sure that the vehicles re being held securely amid fears military secrets were at risk. The nine vehicles are being held in a Hong Kong customs depot.
The People’s Daily, an official government mouthpiece for mainland PRC China had the following to say:
China urges #Singapore to strictly adhere to one-China policyhttps://t.co/N2QRNNcLPz pic.twitter.com/MkCUxcfjhS
— People's Daily,China (@PDChina) November 28, 2016
On Monday, China’s Global Times, a state-owned newspaper, said that Singapore was supposed to have suspended its military co-operation with Taiwan in 2012.
“However, the recently detained vessel with its cargo of armoured vehicles reveals Singapore’s hypocrisy,” it said.
“For quite some time, Singapore has been pretending to seek a balance between China and the US, yet has been taking Washington’s side in reality,” the newspaper said. “It is no longer reasonable for Singapore to continue … any kind of military exchange with Taiwan.”
China has always kept mum on Singapores defence ties with Taipei, so whats with the tank hissy fit? https://t.co/EhCJd2eJNF
— Global Stock Broker (@globalbrokers) November 29, 2016
Singapore and Taiwan have maintained strategic defense ties since signing an agreement in 1974. See: (Project “Starlight”). The video below describes the close relations between Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew, the founding Prime Minister, and the Kuomintang, the exiled nationalists who fought the Communists that rule mainland PRC China today.
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