On May 15, Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong will officially "take over" the post of Prime Minister from Lee Hsien Loong. Before taking office, in an exclusive interview with the British media, Lawrence Wong made a direct statement on Sino-US relations and the Taiwan issue, and he spoke very directly.
According to the Observer, Lawrence Wong said that Singapore will not choose sides between China and the United States, and will prioritize its own interests. He also warned that the United States is doing "small courtyards and high walls" against China, which is harmful to the whole world. He stressed that although many people compare the Taiwan issue with Ukraine, there is an essential difference between the two, and Singapore will adhere to the one-China policy, oppose "Taiwan independence," and will never allow itself to be used by "Taiwan independence" firms. What should we think about this? Let's talk about three topics.
The first, Huang Xuncai's statement, is equivalent to making a commitment to China.
As far as China is concerned, there are two issues that are most sensitive, one is Sino-US relations and the other is the Taiwan issue. At the time of the transition between the old and new governments, Singapore certainly needs to make its point of view on this. First, Singapore is a member of ASEAN, and China and ASEAN are each other's largest trading partners. Second, Singapore is also a South China Sea country, and now that the Philippines has drawn the United States into the South China Sea and continues to provoke China, it is necessary for Singapore to make its attitude clear.
For many years, Singapore has been recognized by the outside world as the best country to "maintain a balance" between China and the United States, and has often played the role of a "messenger" between China and the United States. Ninety-five percent of Singapore's Chinese know China very well, but at the same time, Singapore is also one of the most westernized countries, and it is also very familiar with the Western political operation model, and it is precisely because of this that it can "be like a fish in water" between China and the United States, and the two major powers will not be offended, and they can also benefit from the two major powers.
Nowadays, the United States is using Taiwan, the South China Sea issue and the semiconductor blockade to encircle and suppress China, and Singapore certainly sees it in its eyes, and it still takes courage for Huang Xuncai to directly say that "the United States is harming the world by building a small courtyard and high walls against China". He even made it clear that Singapore is only a security partner of the United States, not an ally of the United States, and seemed to indicate that Singapore will not follow the United States if it contains China, whether in the South China Sea, the Taiwan Strait, or other areas.
Not only that, Huang Xuncai said that Singapore will adhere to one China and oppose "Taiwan independence", which is equivalent to clarifying the bottom line of how to deal with the Taiwan authorities after he takes office, and the purpose is to reassure Chinese mainland.
Second, Huang believes that it is normal for the United States to contain and suppress China, and China's countermeasures.
What Lawrence Wong said is also something that is now visible to all in the world. In the Taiwan Strait, the United States has maintained an unconventional military presence for a long time, and has armed the Taiwan region into a "hedgehog" through arms sales. In the South China Sea, the United States has not only launched the Philippines as a pioneer to continuously launch provocations against China, but also deployed medium-range missiles with a range of 1,700 kilometers to the Philippines, not only bringing China's southeast coast into range, but also ASEAN countries, including Singapore, which have also pushed up regional tensions.
In the field of semiconductors, the United States has roped in Japan, South Korea, the Netherlands, Germany and other countries in an attempt to blockade China in technology, equipment, materials and supply chains to prevent the upgrading of China's semiconductor industry, because the United States believes that semiconductors are "future technology", especially in the military field.
In this regard, of course, China will take countermeasures, and Japan, South Korea, and Germany almost do not agree with the US approach, and want to delay it until after the US election. And almost every time there is a dialogue between China and the United States, the Chinese side has to warn the United States about the Taiwan issue, which is the first red line in the relationship between the two countries that cannot be crossed.
As for the United States' escalation of the situation in the South China Sea, in addition to reminding the Philippines, China also warned the United States by name that the consequences of doing so will only be to set themselves on fire. The latest news is that during the joint exercise between the United States and the Philippines, China's 055 four-ship formation sailed into the South China Sea to conduct actual combat training in person. In Singapore's view, China's countermeasures are a matter of course, because China is also a world economic and military power, a member of the "five permanent members" of the United Nations, and plays a huge role in promoting global economic development.
Third, Huang Xuncai reminded the United States that there are red lines on the Taiwan issue.
He believes that the Taiwan issue is completely different from Ukraine, because Ukraine is a sovereign state, while the Taiwan issue is entirely China's internal affair, and most countries in the world pursue a one-China policy. He also reminded in particular that all parties must be aware of where the red line lies and the serious consequences of stepping on it, "I think the US government certainly understands."
As a matter of fact, Singapore's ties with the Taiwan region are also very close, and not to mention economically, to this day, Singapore's "Starlight Force" still borrows land in the Taiwan region for training from time to time. However, Singapore is well aware of where Chinese mainland's bottom line lies and what cannot be touched on the Taiwan issue. It is precisely because of this that between China and the United States and between the two sides of the strait, Singapore can find the most suitable position to serve its own national interests. Territorially and demographically, Singapore is a small country, but politically, Singapore is not small.