Global Times’ false and unfounded allegations against S’pore

Singapore has rebutted a report in an influential state-owned Chinese tabloid which claimed that the Republic had tried to push for a stronger statement on an international tribunal’s ruling on the South China Sea at the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit last week in Venezuela.

In a letter to Mr Hu Xijin, the editor-in-chief of Global Times, Singapore’s ambassador to China, Mr Stanley Loh, said its article had attributed actions and words to Singapore that are “false and unfounded”.

In an article in its Chinese edition on September 21, which cited unnamed sources, the Global Times claimed that during discussions on the outcome documents at the NAM meeting, Singapore “insisted on shoving in content endorsing the Philippines’ South China Sea arbitration case” but “the attempt failed due to strong objections from multiple countries”.

We produce below Mr Loh’s letter and a translation of the report by Global Times, which is published by the ruling Communist Party’s official People’s Daily.

Letter from Singapore’s Ambassador to China, Mr Stanley Loh, to Global Times’ editor-in-chief Hu Xijin:

The Global Times’ (Chinese) article dated Sept 21, 2016, regarding the 17th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit, attributed actions and words to Singapore which are false and unfounded.

Firstly, the proposal to update the South-east Asia paragraphs in the NAM Final Document was not done at the last minute nor by any single Asean (Association of South-east Asian Nations) country.

There was a common and united Asean position. It was a consensus position of all 10 Asean members, based on agreed language from the Joint Communique of the 49th Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.

As the current Asean Chair, Laos conveyed the group’s common position through a formal letter to the former NAM Chair, Iran, in July 2016. Subsequently, Iran circulated Asean’s updates to all NAM Members on July 29, 2016.

Secondly, the NAM Chair refused Asean’s request to abide by the established practice in NAM for regional groupings to update the paragraphs of their respective regions in the NAM Final Document, without interference from non-regional NAM countries or external parties.

If this important principle is not respected, any non-regional NAM member or external element could in future impose their views on any regional issue.

This is not in the interests of the NAM and its members. The paragraphs on South-east Asia, including those referring to the South China Sea, have been part of the NAM Final Document since 1992, and regularly updated based on the common position of Asean countries.

Thirdly, contrary to the claim fabricated by the Global Times, the Singapore delegation did not raise the South China Sea or the tribunal ruling at the NAM Summit. Singapore adopted a principled position throughout and intervened to support the common position of Asean and defend NAM principles and established practices. Singapore believes that it is detrimental to the unity, impartiality and future of the NAM to allow NAM principles to be undermined.

The following additional facts clearly refute the allegations in the article:

Only a very small number of NAM members outside South-east Asia raised objections to Asean’s updates at the NAM Senior Officials’ Meeting at Margarita Island. However, substantive discussions were regrettably blocked.

As Chairman of Asean, Laos protested on behalf of all 10 Asean countries to the NAM Chair on its improper decision to reject Asean’s updates. Several other countries also objected to the breach of this well-established NAM principle.

At the end of the 17th NAM Summit, Laos, as Chair of Asean, wrote to the Venezuelan Foreign Minister to put on record Asean’s collective reservation to a paragraph in the South-east Asia section of the NAM Final Document that was not updated. The Asean Chair further requested that Asean’s proposed language be annexed to the NAM Final Document. A copy of the letter from Laos as Chair of Asean is attached.

We are disappointed that an established newspaper published this irresponsible report replete with fabrications and unfounded allegations, with no regard for the facts.

I request that in the interest of professionalism, objectivity and transparency, Global Times publishes this letter in full in Chinese and English, so that your readers may be accurately informed, and the close friendship between our two countries will not be inadvertently affected.

Global Times, Page 3, Sept 21, 2016: Singapore Absurdly Raises South China Sea Arbitration In the NAM Summit

The 17th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit concluded in Venezuela on Sept 18. The Summit adopted the Margarita Declaration, which will guide NAM’s development over the next three years.

However, Global Times’ reporter has learned from people with knowledge of the matter that in the process of negotiating the outcome documents, Singapore insisted on shoving in content endorsing the Philippines’ South China Sea arbitration case, and attempted to strengthen content concerning the South China Sea. However, Singapore’s attempt failed due to strong objections from multiple countries.

Founded in 1961, NAM convenes conferences every three years. NAM allows middle- and small-sized countries to express their desire to be free from major powers’ control and pursue independence, and has consistently worked to maintain its influence on international politics. The 17th NAM Summit was held in Venezuela’s Caribbean island of Margarita. Over a thousand representatives from 120 member states, 17 observer states and 10 observer organisations participated.

According to people with knowledge of the matter, during negotiations, a large number of countries voiced clear objections to the strengthening of content concerning the South China Sea.

The Singaporean representative was left flustered, ridiculing countries opposed to Singapore’s plans. The representative even used offensive language in his arguments and made malicious attacks on the representatives of countries adhering to fair and objective positions.

Moreover, during and after the NAM Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, Singapore continued to complicate the issue and openly challenged the ruling of the NAM Chair. This was again strongly opposed by many countries. A large number of representatives expressed dissatisfaction with Singapore’s disregard for the unity of NAM members and open challenges to NAM procedures and norms.

In pursuit of its own selfish interests, Singapore repeatedly caused unnecessary complications during the meetings, causing them to drag till late at night. This also elicited disapproval from other representatives.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said on Sept 20 that NAM, as a hallmark of developing countries seeking strength for themselves through unity, has played an important role in upholding world peace and facilitating common development.

As an observer member of NAM, China has always endorsed the purposes and principles of NAM and attached great importance to the role played by it in international affairs. He said that China would firmly support NAM in having a bigger say in international affairs, keep extending and intensifying its traditional friendship with NAM, and expand mutually-beneficial cooperation.

China will continue to stand by developing countries and make unremitting efforts to safeguard the common interests of developing countries, jointly build a new model of international relations featuring win-win cooperation and forge a community of shared future for mankind.

In 2015, Singapore took over from Thailand as the country coordinator for China-Asean relations for a three-year term. However, what Singapore has done since the announcement of the result of the so-called South China Sea arbitration tribunal established at the request of the Philippines in July has been quite startling.

Despite not being a South China Sea claimant, Singapore was the sole country among the Asean member states apart from Vietnam and the Philippines to have issued explicit endorsement of the arbitration award.

When the pragmatic joint statement issued after the China-Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting did not include any references to the South China Sea arbitration case, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, during his visit to the United States, again called on relevant countries to “respect” the so-called arbitration result.

China and Asean member states held the 13th Senior Officials’ Meeting and the 18th Joint Working Group Meeting on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea in Manzhouli, China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, on Aug 15 and 16, 2016.

In response to a question raised by Singapore’s Lianhe Zaobao after the meetings, China’s Vice-Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin recognised that Singapore had played an important role as the country coordinator. At the same time, he said: “Singapore is not a directly relevant party in the South China Sea. We hope that the Singapore government will avoid interfering in South China Sea issues and actively promote cooperation between China and Asean, as well as play a greater role in strengthening coordination.”

People with knowledge of the matter told Global Times that if Singapore continues its inappropriate interference in the South China Sea issue, Sino-Singapore relations certainly will be affected.