Singapore’s HDB corridors compared with South China Sea row? US embassy slammed over video
The video compares rule violations over cluttering along HDB corridors with what it refers to as China’s illegal actions in the waterway
A US embassy video likening China’s maritime claims in the South China Sea to a resident in Singapore cluttering the corridor of a public housing block has been met with ridicule by online users, with some describing it as propaganda tailored for local audiences.
On Wednesday, Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it rejected “attempts by foreign embassies to incite domestic reactions to international issues involving third countries”.
The ministry did not refer to the US consulate video directly, but said its comments were in response to “recent social media posts by foreign embassies”.
“Complex issues are best resolved through appropriate channels for effective diplomacy,” the spokesman added.
The 90-second clip, posted by US Chargé d’Affaires Casey Mace and reshared across the official embassy channels on Monday, opens with a scene familiar to many Singaporeans – the façade of a Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat – and a narrator intoning: “Our homes are our sanctuaries. And when we live together, it’s important to respect each other’s space and our common space.”
Viewers are then asked to “imagine coming home one day and to find this”, as the screen flashes images of shared areas blocked by household clutter, alongside headlines about disputes over corridor hoarding. “A neighbour has decided that the space in front of your door is theirs,” the narrator says, before asking: “Does this remind you of anything else?”