Singapore China relations on the mend?

After Hsien Loong led a high level team of ministers to China and meeting every who's who in China, including Xi Jinping, to mend relations that had gone to an all time low, he and his ministers have been praising how good is Singapore's relations with China. Everything is back to normal, it seems. I also wrote about how China is putting everything aside to start a new relationship with Singapore. It is a rare honour for a head of state, especially from a small little red dot to be allowed to meet so many top Chinese leaders in one trip and when the Chinese leaders were so busy with the Party Congress and the 68th celebration of new China under the CCP rule.

The Chinese have indeed made an exceptionally big effort to accommodate Singapore and wanted relations to improve and move to a higher level. Otherwise Hsien Loong would not be allowed to meet so many of them at such a critical moment. They may not even want to have the visit. The sincerity on the part of China was all there for Hsien Loong to see. If anything that can go wrong after such great effort it is likely to be on the Singapore side. The Singapore media were saying all the good stuff about China and Sino Singapore relations.

Now, could the relations be otherwise, that things did not go that well rather? Here is a post in the statestimesreview quoting a Chinese source that indeed Sino Singapore relations is not what the Singapore side has been saying. It is still NG.

'China’s Defence Ministry today (Sep 2 has issued a press statement reiterating their stand that China opposed Singapore conducting joint military operations with Taiwan:

“China is willing to work with Singapore to create favourable conditions to develop an even more mature military relationship. I also want to stress here that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China. We resolutely oppose any country having any form of official exchanges with Taiwan or military links.”

The media statement debunks the fake news by Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, who called his recent trip to Beijing “successful” suggesting that China has given Singapore the leeway to continue military operations in Taiwan. In an official trip to China last week, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was unable to negotiate an entry into China’s One Belt One Road initiative.'

When a Chinese ministry made such a statement, it means things are not going well. China watchers understood what the Chinese meant when it is an official statement. How could this be when Hsien Loong and his team were also very sincere in wanting to mend relations?

On hindsight, it was clear that Singapore is still adopting an antique strategy of the past, whack first then talk to show that we are tough and not pushovers. At times this would work but doing this to China when it is no longer inferior to the Americans and stating its claim to be the world's number one super power, this kind of strategy is childish at best and stupidity at worst.

How so? Remember the high profile sacking of Professor Huang Jing before the visit to China? Though the ministries still refused to identify who Huang Jing is working for, it is becoming clearer that he is working for China. It would be different if he was working for the Americans. To whack him first and then to visit China to want to mend relations is the stupidest thing to do. How could Singapore think it could get away with such outdated strategy in foreign relations? Punching above your weight, punching China and expecting China to look the other way?

Then there is the training in Taiwan issue. The Chinese had made their stand very clear during the Terrex incident. This is not acceptable. Though the media did not mention anything about this issue being discussed, I bet it was discussed behind closed door. And from this latest statement from the Chinese Defence Ministry, it is quite obvious that Singapore stood firm and want the cake and eat it as well.

The Chinese have deliberated on their discussions with Singapore and is making it public that relations with Singapore are far from being on the mend. It is only the Singapore side that is saying so and thinking it is so. And if this is the case, the doors will be closing on Singapore very fast unless Singapore is able to pull out a miracle in these last hours to make things right.

My reading, Singapore is a principled country and would not bow to pressure and would let its relations with China go down to its ebb. There is always the mighty American Empire to depend on. In the first page of the Sunday Times, 1 Oct, there was a picture of Singapore flag flying with the flags of the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand and with a caption 'Majulah Singapura in Iraq'. Singapore is a core member of the American Empire fighting ISIS. The rest of the European powers have fled this coalition in the Middle East. Singapore remains a staunch supporter and member of the coalition, something to be very proud of, a great honour, to fly the Singapore flag with the Americans, British, Australia and New Zealand side by side, as one of them.

With or without China may not be a real bother. Singapore is now so thick with the Americans that there is nothing to fear, nothing to lose even if relations with China is not doing well.