- Title: China protests to Singapore over troop carriers in Taiwan
- Date: 28th November 2016
- Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (NOVEMBER 28, 2016) (REUTERS) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN GENG SHUANG WALKING IN FOR REGULAR BRIEFING MEDIA SEATED (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN, GENG SHUANG, SAYING: "China has already made representations over this to the Singapore side, and asked Singapore to strictly abide by the relevant laws of the government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and to cooperate with the government of the Special Administrative Region in handling follow-up work. The Chinese government always resolutely opposes countries which have diplomatic relations with China also having any form of official exchanges with the Taiwan region, including military exchanges and cooperation. We demand that the Singapore government earnestly abide by the one China principle." BRIEFING IN PROGRESS EXTERIOR OF CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY CHINESE NATIONAL FLAG FLYING
- Embargoed: 13th December 2016 09:22
- Keywords: China Singapore Taiwan Hong Kong troop carriers foreign ministry Geng Shuang
- Location: BEIJING, CHINA
- City: BEIJING, CHINA
- Country: China
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0015ACYBT1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: China said on Monday (November 28) it had lodged a protest with Singapore after Singaporean armoured troop carriers were seized by Hong Kong customs en route back from Taiwan, as a state-owned newspaper warned against Singapore's "hypocrisy".
The nine troop carriers were impounded in Hong Kong last week, sparking a rebuke to Singapore from China's foreign ministry about maintaining military ties with self-ruled Taiwan, which China considers a breakaway province.
"China has already made representations over this to the Singapore side, and asked Singapore to strictly abide by the relevant laws of the government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and to cooperate with the government of the Special Administrative Region in handling follow-up work. The Chinese government always resolutely opposes countries which have diplomatic relations with China also having any form of official exchanges with the Taiwan region, including military exchanges and cooperation. We demand that the Singapore government earnestly abide by the one China principle," Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a regular press briefing on Monday.
Hong Kong, a former British colony, returned to Chinese rule in 1997.
China has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since 1949, when Mao Zedong's Communist forces won the Chinese civil war and Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists fled to the island.
Beijing has vowed to bring Taiwan under its rule, by force if necessary. China says Taiwan is part of "one China", ruled by Beijing.
Singapore and Taiwan have a long-standing military relationship that began in the 1970s and involves Taiwan being used as grounds for Singaporean infantry training.
Beijing has grudgingly tolerated this agreement since the China and Singapore re-established diplomatic relations in the 1990s.
The Global Times, China's nationalist state-owned tabloid, warned that Singapore's "hypocrisy" over its military relationship with Taiwan could harm its relations with China.
The incident with the armoured troop carriers "adds to the suspicion" that Singapore is working against the "one China" principle, said the paper. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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