Singapore must abide by Hong Kong laws on impounded vehicles, Beijing says
Central government digs in its heels on seizure, citing one-China policy and local rules in response to city state’s demand for an explanation
Singapore military vehicle seizure
Beijing reiterated its call for Singapore to respect the one-China policy and abide by Hong Kong law on Wednesday, to help properly resolve the controversy over the impounding of the city state’s armoured vehicles.
Analysts said that the remarks by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang reflected Beijing’s frustration over Singapore’s handling of its ties with Taiwan, and the fact that the two nations still had unsettled issues.
Singapore’s Ministry of Defence repeated on Tuesday that it had yet to receive a formal explanation about the impounding of nine of its armoured troop carriers by Hong Kong customs, two weeks after the saga erupted.
Inside the Terrex military vehicle at the centre of Singapore-China storm
The vehicles were impounded in Hong Kong as they were being delivered back to Singapore after they were used for training in Taiwan. The vehicles are believed to have been employed as part of Project Starlight – an agreement reached between the city state and Taipei more than four decades ago that allows Singaporean troops to train in Taiwan.
“We hope related parties can stick to the one-China policy and abide by laws and regulations in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region,” Lu said.
The dispute comes at a time of cool relations between China and Singapore, which is viewed by Beijing as backing the Philippines in its territorial dispute with China.
Singapore and Taiwan have a long military relationship, with the space-starved city state sending thousands of troops a year for training alongside Taiwan’s military under Project Starlight.
There may be trouble ahead for China and Singapore
Beijing opposes other countries having any form of official exchanges with Taipei, including military ones.
“For Singapore, it may think its military training in Taiwan is just habitual. But the seized armoured vehicles gave China a chance to draw a red line for Singapore,” said Xu Liping, a senior researcher specialising in Southeast Asian studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
“Singapore’s Project Starlight broke the one-China policy, and Beijing wants Singapore to respect China’s core interests,” Xu added.
Dai Fan, a Southeast Asia analyst at Jinan University in Guangzhou, said Project Starlight had continued for decades, and that Singapore would not abandon it.
Singapore armoured vehicles held in Hong Kong should be ‘melted down’, says Chinese state tabloid
“And after taking Singapore’s long relationship with Taiwan and the US pivot to Asia strategy into consideration, I do not think Singapore will switch the project from Taiwan to the Chinese mainland,” said Dai, referring to Beijing offering the city state the use of Hainan as a training base.
“Singapore might concede to a certain extent, but it’s difficult for Singapore to totally abandon Taiwan,” he said.
Lee Chi-horng, a research fellow at the Singapore-based Longus Research Institute, said Beijing was dismayed that Singaporean Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen had kept pressing Hong Kong to give legal reasons for impounding the vehicles.
Central government digs in its heels on seizure, citing one-China policy and local rules in response to city state’s demand for an explanation
Singapore military vehicle seizure
Beijing reiterated its call for Singapore to respect the one-China policy and abide by Hong Kong law on Wednesday, to help properly resolve the controversy over the impounding of the city state’s armoured vehicles.
Analysts said that the remarks by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang reflected Beijing’s frustration over Singapore’s handling of its ties with Taiwan, and the fact that the two nations still had unsettled issues.
Singapore’s Ministry of Defence repeated on Tuesday that it had yet to receive a formal explanation about the impounding of nine of its armoured troop carriers by Hong Kong customs, two weeks after the saga erupted.
Inside the Terrex military vehicle at the centre of Singapore-China storm
The vehicles were impounded in Hong Kong as they were being delivered back to Singapore after they were used for training in Taiwan. The vehicles are believed to have been employed as part of Project Starlight – an agreement reached between the city state and Taipei more than four decades ago that allows Singaporean troops to train in Taiwan.
“We hope related parties can stick to the one-China policy and abide by laws and regulations in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region,” Lu said.
The dispute comes at a time of cool relations between China and Singapore, which is viewed by Beijing as backing the Philippines in its territorial dispute with China.
Singapore and Taiwan have a long military relationship, with the space-starved city state sending thousands of troops a year for training alongside Taiwan’s military under Project Starlight.
There may be trouble ahead for China and Singapore
Beijing opposes other countries having any form of official exchanges with Taipei, including military ones.
“For Singapore, it may think its military training in Taiwan is just habitual. But the seized armoured vehicles gave China a chance to draw a red line for Singapore,” said Xu Liping, a senior researcher specialising in Southeast Asian studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
“Singapore’s Project Starlight broke the one-China policy, and Beijing wants Singapore to respect China’s core interests,” Xu added.
Dai Fan, a Southeast Asia analyst at Jinan University in Guangzhou, said Project Starlight had continued for decades, and that Singapore would not abandon it.
Singapore armoured vehicles held in Hong Kong should be ‘melted down’, says Chinese state tabloid
“And after taking Singapore’s long relationship with Taiwan and the US pivot to Asia strategy into consideration, I do not think Singapore will switch the project from Taiwan to the Chinese mainland,” said Dai, referring to Beijing offering the city state the use of Hainan as a training base.
“Singapore might concede to a certain extent, but it’s difficult for Singapore to totally abandon Taiwan,” he said.
Lee Chi-horng, a research fellow at the Singapore-based Longus Research Institute, said Beijing was dismayed that Singaporean Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen had kept pressing Hong Kong to give legal reasons for impounding the vehicles.
