中国就装甲车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.

中国已就新加坡同台湾保持军事关系向新加坡作出正式抗议，此前新加坡的9辆军车在香港被查获。这个迹象表明，随着新加坡向华盛顿方面靠拢，这个城市国家与北京方面紧张升级。

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.

这些泰莱斯(Terrex)装甲运兵车上周在从台湾运输至新加坡途中被香港海关扣押，理由是它们疑似受管制物品。

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，中国外交部发言人耿爽昨日表示。

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.

他还说，中国要求新方严格遵守香港特区有关法律，配合香港特区政府做好后续处理工作。

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

这场争端发生之际，正值北京方面对亚洲邻国表现出新的强硬态度。

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.

在几十年保持低调外交政策后，中国开始拉拢菲律宾和泰国等美国的盟友，同时对新加坡和韩国等正在加深与华盛顿关系的国家施加压力。

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.

新加坡在过去一年加强了与美国的军事关系，同意加强在人道主义援助、救灾任务以及网络安全方面的合作。

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

自去年12月起，新加坡允许美国海神(Poseidon)反潜侦查机以新加坡为基地执行任务。

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.

几十年来，新加坡寻求在中国与实行自我治理的台湾之间的对峙中保持中立，去年还为两岸领导人的里程碑式峰会担当东道主。

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

但是，尽管中国强烈反对，该国仍然与台北方面保持防务关系。

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.

上述装甲运兵车似乎是新加坡部队在台湾进行训练活动的一部分，这项训练根据双方在1975年签署的一项最初保密的防务协议定期举行，中国大陆和台湾新闻媒体对此都有报道。

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，它对这种做法正失去耐心，特别是自新加坡和中国在1990年建立外交关系以来。

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

新加坡没有立即回应就军车被扣置评的请求。

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

香港海关称该案正在调查中。

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.

与此同时，中国的鹰派官方报纸《环球时报》昨日在一篇社评中表示，新加坡本应在2012年叫停其与台湾的军事合作。

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

然而，最近因为运载装甲车而被扣押的船舶暴露出新加坡的虚伪，该报称。

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.

很长一段时间以来，新加坡一直假装在中美之间寻求平衡，但在现实中一直站在华盛顿一边，该报称，

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

新加坡继续与台湾进行……军事交流不再合理。

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，《环球时报》曾公开和新加坡开打口水战，该报指责新加坡在于委内瑞拉举行的不结盟运动(Non-Aligned Movement)峰会上不必要地追究南中国海争端问题。新加坡否认这一指责。

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.

新加坡军方的一个小组上周六抵达香港，以求确保上述装甲运兵车得到妥善保管。目前有人担心这些军车上的技术可能泄露。

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

九辆装甲车目前仍被扣押在香港海关仓库。