Singapore’s spat with China over the island state’s nine armoured personnel carriers impounded in Hong Kong has intensified after Beijing suggested their release required the Singapore to abandon its low-key relations with Taiwan.
The escalation comes at an important moment in Asian alliance politics, with China seeking to isolate Taiwan further by putting pressure on nations such as Singapore.
“China-Singapore relations have hit rock bottom,” said Shi Yinhong, an authority on China’s foreign relations at Beijing’s Renmin University. Mr Shi linked the dispute to Singapore’s trade and defence relations with Taiwan, which China regards as a renegade province, and its position on Chinese claims in the South China Sea.
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