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http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest+News/Singapore/Story/A1Story20120131-325001.html
Singapore not US treaty ally: MFA
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AsiaOne
Tuesday, Jan 31, 2012
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said Monday that "Singapore is not a US treaty ally, unlike Japan, Australia or the Philippines".
The ministry was responding to a Washington Post article which gave the wrong impression that Singapore is a US treaty ally.
The Straits Times reported that the Post article had quoted an unnamed Philippines official as saying that 'Australia, Japan, Singapore' were mirroring the Philippines' move on seeking the expansion of US military presence to counter a rising China.
The Philippines official was quoted as saying that "Australia, Japan, Singapore" were some countries in the Pacific region to embrace Washington as "nobody wants to face China or confront China".
An MFA spokesperson said that while Singapore has allowed US ships and aircraft usage of some of the Republic's facilities, this is not a reaction to any recent developments.
"It is a long-standing arrangement dating back to 1990," the spokesperson said.
According to the English daily, the US is able to use local facilities for its warships, for naval repairs and for air force training due to a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two countries in 1990.
The MFA spokesperson also said that Singapore maintains friendly relations with all the countries in Asia and their naval ships call regularly at Singapore.
Last week, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong told CNN anchor Fareed Zakaria at the World Economic Forum that Singapore would not host a US naval base as it "would be twice the size of Singapore".
[email protected]
Singapore not US treaty ally: MFA
Tweet
AsiaOne
Tuesday, Jan 31, 2012
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said Monday that "Singapore is not a US treaty ally, unlike Japan, Australia or the Philippines".
The ministry was responding to a Washington Post article which gave the wrong impression that Singapore is a US treaty ally.
The Straits Times reported that the Post article had quoted an unnamed Philippines official as saying that 'Australia, Japan, Singapore' were mirroring the Philippines' move on seeking the expansion of US military presence to counter a rising China.
The Philippines official was quoted as saying that "Australia, Japan, Singapore" were some countries in the Pacific region to embrace Washington as "nobody wants to face China or confront China".
An MFA spokesperson said that while Singapore has allowed US ships and aircraft usage of some of the Republic's facilities, this is not a reaction to any recent developments.
"It is a long-standing arrangement dating back to 1990," the spokesperson said.
According to the English daily, the US is able to use local facilities for its warships, for naval repairs and for air force training due to a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two countries in 1990.
The MFA spokesperson also said that Singapore maintains friendly relations with all the countries in Asia and their naval ships call regularly at Singapore.
Last week, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong told CNN anchor Fareed Zakaria at the World Economic Forum that Singapore would not host a US naval base as it "would be twice the size of Singapore".
[email protected]
