Terrex issue ‘handled with care’ by both Singapore and Beijing: PM Lee

SINGAPORE — The recent seizure of the Republic’s Terrex armoured vehicles by Hong Kong Customs was a “delicate” matter that was handled with care by both Singapore and China, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said, rejecting a BBC journalist’s suggestion that the episode symbolised frayed relations between the two countries.

“I would not say we have major problems. We have had some issues and some incidents. The military vehicles were an incident which happened to both of us and we had to handle it,” Mr Lee said in response to Mr Stephen Sackur, who had asked him how worried he was about Singapore’s ties with China. 

In his interview, Mr Sackur pressed Mr Lee on whether the incident suggested “a lack of trust”, but Mr Lee said: “It was a delicate matter for both sides and I think both sides handled it carefully and there has been a satisfactory outcome.” Mr Sackur also tried to suggest that China was “furious about some policy decisions (Singapore has) made, not least your decision to support the Court of Arbitration’s backing of the Philippines in the dispute in the South China Sea”. Mr Sackur added: “The Chinese feel that you are betraying a friendship.” 

But Mr Lee corrected him, saying: “No, I think you misparaphrased me because I did not strongly support the Court’s ruling. What I said was the Court had made a strong statement, and there is a difference. 
“The Chinese do not accept it. The Filipinos do. But it was, if you read the ruling, it was a ruling in very strong terms.”

Pressed on whether he felt China or the Philippines has “justice on its side”, Mr Lee replied: “We do not judge specific claims ... We respect international courts. Decisions are made — they can be scrutinised, they can be examined, they can be criticised. In Singapore, our interest is freedom of navigation, rule of international law, and also the cohesion of Asean and the relevance of Asean.”

The nine Terrex vehicles were being shipped from Taiwan after a military training exercise, when Hong Kong Customs impounded the shipment on Nov 23 for “a suspected breach of Hong Kong law”.  

Following the seizure, Beijing made representations to Singapore and called on the Republic to adhere to the “One China” policy, reiterating that China opposes countries that have diplomatic ties with it to have “any form of official exchanges with Taiwan, including military exchanges and cooperation”.

Mr Lee subsequently wrote to Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying requesting the vehicles’ immediate return, but it was not until late January that the Hong Kong authorities released them.