中國就裝甲車事件向新加坡提出交涉

China has made an official protest to Singapore over its military ties with Taiwan after nine Singaporean military vehicles were seized in Hong Kong, in a sign of escalating tensions as the city state draws closer to Washington.

中國已就新加坡同臺灣保持軍事關係向新加坡作出正式抗議，此前新加坡的9輛軍車在香港被查獲。這個跡象表明，隨着新加坡向華盛頓方面靠攏，這個城市國家與北京方面緊張升級。

The Terrex armoured personnel carriers were en route from Taiwan to Singapore when they were impounded by Hong Kong customs as suspected controlled items last week.

這些泰萊斯(Terrex)裝甲運兵車上週在從臺灣運輸至新加坡途中被香港海關扣押，理由是它們疑似受管制物品。

China has already made representations over this to the Singapore side, Geng Shuang, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry, said yesterday.

中方已向新方提出交涉，中國外交部發言人耿爽昨日表示。

China also demanded that Singapore abide by Hong Kong’s relevant laws and co-operate with the local government on follow-up work, he added.

他還說，中國要求新方嚴格遵守香港特區有關法律，配合香港特區政府做好後續處理工作。

The dispute comes as Beijing shows a new assertiveness towards its Asian neighbours.

這場爭端發生之際，正值北京方面對亞洲鄰國表現出新的強硬態度。

After decades of keeping a low profile in its foreign policy, China has begun to court US allies such as the Philippines and Thailand, while putting pressure on countries such as Singapore and South Korea that are deepening relations with Washington.

在幾十年保持低調外交政策後，中國開始拉攏菲律賓和泰國等美國的盟友，同時對新加坡和韓國等正在加深與華盛頓關係的國家施加壓力。

Singapore has strengthened its military ties with the US in the past year, agreeing to boost co-operation on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions as well as cyber-security.

新加坡在過去一年加強了與美國的軍事關係，同意加強在人道主義援助、救災任務以及網絡安全方面的合作。

Singapore allowed US Poseidon surveillance aircraft to operate from the city state last December.

自去年12月起，新加坡允許美國海神(Poseidon)反潛偵查機以新加坡爲基地執行任務。

For decades Singapore sought to remain neutral in the confrontation between China and self-governing Taiwan, and hosted a landmark summit between their leaders last year.

幾十年來，新加坡尋求在中國與實行自我治理的臺灣之間的對峙中保持中立，去年還爲兩岸領導人的里程碑式峯會擔當東道主。

But it continues to have defence ties with Taipei despite strong Chinese objections.

但是，儘管中國強烈反對，該國仍然與臺北方面保持防務關係。

The armoured carriers appeared to be part of training exercises held in Taiwan by Singaporean troops, which have taken place regularly under a previously secret defence agreement signed by the two countries in 1975 and reported in the Chinese and Taiwanese press.

上述裝甲運兵車似乎是新加坡部隊在臺灣進行訓練活動的一部分，這項訓練根據雙方在1975年簽署的一項最初保密的防務協議定期舉行，中國大陸和臺灣新聞媒體對此都有報道。

However, Beijing has said it is losing patience with this practice, particularly since Singapore and China established diplomatic relations in 1990.

然而，北京方面表示，它對這種做法正失去耐心，特別是自新加坡和中國在1990年建立外交關係以來。

Singapore did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the seized vehicles.

新加坡沒有立即迴應就軍車被扣置評的請求。

Hong Kong’s customs agency said the case was under investigation.

香港海關稱該案正在調查中。

Meanwhile yesterday, China’s Global Times, a hawkish state-owned newspaper, said in an editorial that Singapore was supposed to have suspended its military co-operation with Taiwan in 2012.

與此同時，中國的鷹派官方報紙《環球時報》昨日在一篇社評中表示，新加坡本應在2012年叫停其與臺灣的軍事合作。

However, the recently detained vessel with its cargo of armoured vehicles reveals Singapore’s hypocrisy, it said.

然而，最近因爲運載裝甲車而被扣押的船舶暴露出新加坡的虛僞，該報稱。

For quite some time, Singapore has been pretending to seek a balance between China and the US, yet has been taking Washington’s side in reality, the newspaper said.

很長一段時間以來，新加坡一直假裝在中美之間尋求平衡，但在現實中一直站在華盛頓一邊，該報稱，

It is no longer reasonable for Singapore to continue . . . any kind of military exchange with Taiwan.

新加坡繼續與臺灣進行……軍事交流不再合理。

This year the Global Times and Singapore became embroiled in a public spat after the newspaper accused Singapore of unnecessarily pressing the issue of the disputed South China Sea at a summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Venezuela, a charge Singapore denied.

今年，《環球時報》曾公開和新加坡開打口水戰，該報指責新加坡在於委內瑞拉舉行的不結盟運動(Non-Aligned Movement)峯會上不必要地追究南中國海爭端問題。新加坡否認這一指責。

A Singapore military team arrived in Hong Kong on Saturday to ensure the army personnel carriers were being held securely amid fears military secrets were at risk.

新加坡軍方的一個小組上週六抵達香港，以求確保上述裝甲運兵車得到妥善保管。目前有人擔心這些軍車上的技術可能泄露。

The nine vehicles are being held in a Hong Kong customs depot.

九輛裝甲車目前仍被扣押在香港海關倉庫。