{"id":7466,"date":"2023-06-01T13:42:19","date_gmt":"2023-06-01T12:42:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londonpost.news\/?p=7466"},"modified":"2023-06-01T15:39:35","modified_gmt":"2023-06-01T14:39:35","slug":"china-and-us-ally-singapore-launched-a-bilateral-hotline","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/diplomatic-world\/china-and-us-ally-singapore-launched-a-bilateral-hotline\/2023\/06\/01\/admin1\/","title":{"rendered":"China and key US ally Singapore launch a bilateral hotline"},"content":{"rendered":"

SINGAPORE<\/span> (AP)<\/span> –<\/span>\u00a0Amid<\/span> heightened<\/span> tensions<\/span> between<\/span> China<\/span> and<\/span> Washington,<\/span> China<\/span> and<\/span> Singapore<\/span> launched<\/span> a<\/span> bilateral<\/span> hotline <\/span>that<\/span> provides<\/span> a<\/span> high-level<\/span> communications<\/span> link<\/span> between<\/span> China<\/span> and<\/span> its<\/span> close<\/span> US<\/span> partners<\/span> in<\/span> Asia.<\/span> \u00a0
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>China’s<\/span> Defense<\/span> Minister<\/span> Li<\/span> Sang-fu,<\/span> a<\/span> general<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> People’s<\/span> Liberation<\/span> Army<\/span> who<\/span> was<\/span> appointed<\/span> minister<\/span> in<\/span> March,<\/span> said<\/span> he<\/span> and<\/span> Singapore’s<\/span> Defense<\/span> Minister<\/span> had<\/span> “a<\/span> secure<\/span> telephone<\/span> line<\/span> for<\/span> high-level<\/span> communications<\/span> between<\/span> the<\/span> two<\/span> countries.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Both states’ defence ministers signed<\/span> a<\/span> memorandum<\/span> of<\/span> understanding<\/span>.<\/span> A<\/span> statement<\/span> issued<\/span> by<\/span> Singapore<\/span> said<\/span> it<\/span> would<\/span> “work<\/span> towards<\/span> it”.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>“Such<\/span> high-level,<\/span> open<\/span> lines<\/span> of<\/span> communication<\/span> are<\/span> critical<\/span> to<\/span> fostering<\/span> mutual<\/span> understanding<\/span> and<\/span> trust,”<\/span> the<\/span> statement<\/span> said,<\/span> without<\/span> giving<\/span> a<\/span> timeline<\/span> for<\/span> its<\/span> establishment.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu<\/span>\u00a0is<\/span> on<\/span> his<\/span> first<\/span> visit<\/span> to<\/span> Singapore<\/span> as<\/span> defense<\/span> minister,<\/span> and<\/span> is<\/span> broadly<\/span> discussing<\/span> global<\/span> and<\/span> regional<\/span> security<\/span> issues<\/span> with<\/span> a<\/span> range<\/span> of<\/span> officials.<\/span> Singapore<\/span> said<\/span> both<\/span> countries’<\/span> defense<\/span> establishments<\/span> \u201cinteract<\/span> regularly<\/span> through<\/span> bilateral<\/span> and<\/span> multilateral<\/span> exercises\u201d<\/span> and<\/span> that<\/span> his<\/span> visit<\/span> underscores<\/span> \u201clong-standing,<\/span> warm<\/span> and<\/span> friendly\u201d<\/span> relations.<\/span> At<\/span> the<\/span> same<\/span> time,<\/span> Singapore<\/span> is<\/span> a<\/span> close<\/span> military<\/span> and<\/span> economic<\/span> partner<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States,<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> agreement<\/span> to<\/span> open<\/span> a<\/span> direct<\/span> telephone<\/span> line<\/span> comes<\/span> at<\/span> a<\/span> time<\/span> when<\/span> communications<\/span> between<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States<\/span> and<\/span> China<\/span> are<\/span> strained.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Li<\/span> also<\/span> set<\/span> up<\/span> a<\/span> defense<\/span> hotline<\/span> with<\/span> Japan<\/span> in<\/span> March<\/span> to<\/span> improve<\/span> communication<\/span> and<\/span> avoid<\/span> accidental<\/span> encounters<\/span> in<\/span> tense<\/span> areas.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Lee<\/span> is<\/span> scheduled<\/span> to<\/span> address<\/span> a<\/span> meeting<\/span> of<\/span> defense<\/span> officials,<\/span> diplomats<\/span> and<\/span> heads<\/span> of<\/span> state<\/span> on<\/span> Sunday<\/span> while<\/span> in<\/span> Singapore.<\/span> But<\/span> on<\/span> the<\/span> same<\/span> day,<\/span> he<\/span> rejected<\/span> a<\/span> request<\/span> from<\/span> Washington<\/span> for<\/span> a<\/span> sideline<\/span> meeting<\/span> with<\/span> Secretary<\/span> of<\/span> Defense<\/span> Lloyd<\/span> Austin,<\/span> who<\/span> is<\/span> scheduled<\/span> to<\/span> speak<\/span> at<\/span> Shangri-La.<\/span> Saturday’s<\/span> La<\/span> Dialogue<\/span> Security<\/span> Conference.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>China<\/span> is<\/span> furious,<\/span> among<\/span> other<\/span> things,<\/span> over<\/span> US<\/span> support<\/span> for<\/span> Taiwan,<\/span> an<\/span> autonomous<\/span> democracy<\/span> it<\/span> claims<\/span> to<\/span> be<\/span> its<\/span> territory,<\/span> the<\/span> launch<\/span> of<\/span> so-called<\/span> Chinese<\/span> spy<\/span> balloons,<\/span> and<\/span> sanctions<\/span> aimed<\/span> directly<\/span> at<\/span> Mr.<\/span> Li.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>These<\/span> sanctions<\/span> are<\/span> related<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> U.S.<\/span> comprehensive<\/span> response<\/span> to<\/span> Russia,<\/span> but<\/span> they<\/span> predate<\/span> the<\/span> invasion<\/span> of<\/span> Ukraine,<\/span> citing<\/span> Mr.<\/span> Li’s<\/span> involvement<\/span> in<\/span> China’s<\/span> purchase<\/span> of<\/span> fighter<\/span> jets<\/span> and<\/span> anti-aircraft<\/span> missiles<\/span> from<\/span> Moscow <\/span>imposed<\/span> in<\/span> 2018.<\/span><\/p>\n

The<\/span> sanctions,<\/span> which<\/span> broadly<\/span> prevent<\/span> Li<\/span> from<\/span> doing<\/span> business<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States,<\/span> do<\/span> not<\/span> prevent<\/span> him<\/span> from<\/span> holding<\/span> official<\/span> talks,<\/span> the<\/span> U.S.<\/span> has<\/span> said.<\/span> Earlier<\/span> this<\/span> week,<\/span> Chinese<\/span> defense<\/span> ministry<\/span> spokesman<\/span> Tang<\/span> Kefei<\/span> said<\/span> Austin’s<\/span> offer<\/span> to<\/span> meet<\/span> in<\/span> Singapore<\/span> was<\/span> rejected<\/span> because<\/span> the<\/span> US<\/span> was<\/span> “ignoring<\/span> China’s<\/span> concerns<\/span> and<\/span> creating<\/span> artificial<\/span> obstacles”.<\/span>\u00a0
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Ignoring<\/span> the<\/span> sanctions<\/span> and<\/span> other<\/span> issues<\/span> that<\/span> should<\/span> be<\/span> addressed<\/span> directly,<\/span> he<\/span> said,<\/span> “The<\/span> United<\/span> States<\/span> will<\/span> take<\/span> practical<\/span> steps<\/span> to<\/span> show<\/span> good<\/span> faith<\/span> and<\/span> correct<\/span> mistakes<\/span> in<\/span> order<\/span> to<\/span> create<\/span> the<\/span> necessary<\/span> conditions<\/span> and<\/span> an<\/span> appropriate<\/span> atmosphere<\/span> for<\/span> communication<\/span> and<\/span> exchanges<\/span> between<\/span> the<\/span> two<\/span> sides.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SINGAPORE (AP) –\u00a0Amid heightened tensions between China and Washington, China and Singapore launched a bilateral hotline that provides a high-level communications link between China and its close US partners in Asia. \u00a0 China’s Defense Minister Li Sang-fu, a general in the People’s Liberation Army who was appointed minister in March, said he and Singapore’s Defense […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7469,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":""},"categories":[24,26,2409,2425],"tags":[152,1310,3113,3394,3401,4055,5626,5728,5729,5730],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/chinasingapor.webp","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7466"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7466"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7466\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7496,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7466\/revisions\/7496"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7469"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7466"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7466"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7466"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}