6-2-2024 (SINGAPORE) Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan reassured on Monday (Feb 5) that Singapore’s close ties with China remain “strong and deep” despite China’s expression of concern over Singapore’s congratulations to Taiwan’s William Lai Ching-te.
Responding to a parliamentary question posed by MP Dennis Tan (WP-Hougang) regarding the bilateral relationship, Dr Balakrishnan stated, “Singapore was approached by the Chinese, and we reiterated our longstanding approach and ‘One China’ policy.”
He further emphasized, “Our strong and deep relations with China have not been affected, and our engagements with China have proceeded apace.”
The incident in question occurred on Jan 14 when Singapore extended congratulations to Dr Lai after his victory in the Taiwanese Democratic Progressive Party’s presidential election.
Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) clarified at the time that the congratulations were in line with Singapore’s “One China” policy and stemmed from the nation’s close and longstanding friendship with Taiwan and its people.
The MFA spokesperson also reaffirmed Singapore’s consistent support for the peaceful development of cross-strait relations.
Dr Lai, the former mayor of Tainan, is known for advocating Taiwan’s independence. Detractors and critics have raised concerns that his election could jeopardize Taiwan’s security and disrupt peace with China.
In response, the Taiwan Affairs Office of Beijing released a statement, as reported by Xinhua news agency, asserting that the vote “will not impede the inevitable trend of China’s reunification.”
China criticized countries that had congratulated Dr Lai on his victory, including Singapore, the United States, Japan, and several European nations.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, during a press conference on Jan 15, revealed that China had promptly expressed its concerns to Singapore through “solemn demarches.”
She added, “Singaporean leaders have repeatedly stated that the Taiwan question is ‘a deep red line’ for China. China values this statement and hopes that Singapore will strictly abide by the One China principle and uphold the overall friendly relations between China and Singapore through concrete actions.”
