TIES WITH CHINA

Column: 469

TIES WITH CHINA

6.

Mr Steve Chia Kiah Hong asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs how he intends to (i) improve and build upon the "shallow and brittle" ties that his predecessors have built up with China, and (ii) carry out concrete measures to repair the damaged ties with China.

BG George Yong-Boon Yeo: Singapore's relations with China are not "shallow and brittle" as Mr Steve Chia suggests in his question. In his interview on 17th July 2004, Prime Minister Lee, then DPM, said, regarding the strain in our relations with China after his visit to Taiwan, that "if our relations cannot survive this episode, then they must be shallow and brittle". They are not. PM has made our position on long-term bilateral relations with China very clear in his National Day Rally Speech.

In his Statement of 25th August 2004, the spokesman of the PRC Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted our long-held and unchanged position on One China and opposition to Taiwan independence. Our relationship with China is based on mutual respect and mutual benefit. This does not mean that differences will not arise from time to time. It is not unusual in international relations for even the friendliest of countries to disagree when their national interests diverge. As the Prime Minister said, this is a reality of the compelling pressures of national interests. We must remember this.