The South China Sea shadow over Beijing’s ties with Singapore
China dismayed by city state’s response to Hague ruling and support for US role in Asia
Uncertainty hangs over ties between China and Singapore in the aftermath of a landmark international tribunal ruling on disputes in the South China Sea.
Even though Singapore was not a claimant in the disputed waters, recent gestures by the city state in relation to the ruling appeared to have dismayed Beijing, observers said.
China and Singapore have had close ties, especially economic ones, over the past few decades, with Singapore becoming a training ground for Chinese officials and often cited by Chinese leaders as an example of how a city should be managed.
But recent remarks by Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has raised concerns in Beijing on how far the relationship between the two nations can go.
After the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague rejected China’s claims to the South China Sea, Lee said the verdict was a “strong statement” about international law in maritime disputes.
Beijing responded by calling on Singapore to have an “objective and fair position”, given its role as a coordinator of relations between China and the Association of Southeast Asian nations.