- Title: Beijing urges Singapore to abide by one-China principle for seized troop carriers
- Date: 9th January 2017
- Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (JANUARY 9, 2017) (REUTERS) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN LU KANG WALKING IN FOR REGULAR BRIEFING MEDIA SEATED (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN, LU KANG, SAYING: "We still want to emphasise, we hope all relevant countries including Singapore, firstly, can conscientiously abide by the one China principle. This is a basic premise for China to develop relations with all the other countries. Secondly, we hope the Singapore side can conscientiously abide by the laws of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. As far as I know, at the moment the government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is handling the case according to relevant laws and regulations, we also hope relevant parties can speak and act cautiously." BRIEFING IN PROGRESS EXTERIOR OF CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY CHINESE NATIONAL FLAG FLYING
- Embargoed: 24th January 2017 09:28
- Keywords: China Singapore Hong Kong defence armoured troop carrier law foreign ministry
- Location: BEIJING, CHINA
- City: BEIJING, CHINA
- Country: China
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0015YCZ879
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:China's Foreign Ministry urged Singapore on Monday (January 9) to abide by the one China principle and Hong Kong's laws after Singapore's defence minister demanded the return of nine troop carriers seized in Hong Kong last month.
Hong Kong customs seized the troop carriers in November as they were being shipped from Taiwan to Singapore after military exercises on the island that Beijing regards as a breakaway province, sparking tension between Singapore and China.
Beijing, which regained sovereignty over the former British colony of Hong Kong in 1997, then warned countries against maintaining military ties with Taiwan.
Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said earlier on Monday the vehicles in Hong Kong were Singapore property and could not be detained or confiscated.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told reporters at a regular briefing that Beijing hoped all relevant countries to abide by the one China principle and Hong Kong's laws.
"We still want to emphasise, we hope all relevant countries including Singapore, firstly, can conscientiously abide by the one China principle. This is a basic premise for China to develop relations with all the other countries. Secondly, we hope the Singapore side can conscientiously abide by the laws of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. As far as I know, at the moment the government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is handling the case according to relevant laws and regulations, we also hope relevant parties can speak and act cautiously," he said.
Ng said Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had written to Hong Kong chief executive Leung Chun-ying to request their return.
The response was that an investigation would take some time and that Hong Kong would handle the matter in accordance with its laws, system.scripts.asia said.
The seizure of the vehicles came amid mounting regional uncertainty and signs of tension between China and Singapore, which has deepened its security relationship with the United States over the last year and remains concerned over Beijing's assertive territorial stance in the South China Sea. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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