Taipei/Singapore Relations Require Joint Effort

Taipei/Singapore Relations Require Joint Effort
China Times editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
February 29, 2012

Summary: State-to-state exchanges must be based on reciprocity. The purpose of diplomacy is to safeguard and promote the national interest. The considerations for each side will be different. But as long as each side respects the other's needs, the relationship will be mutally beneficial. The Taipei/Singapore relationship is not one-sided. Singapore is not Taipei's benefactor. Past exchanges and cooperation took place only because Singapore reaped certain desired benefits. Taipei must not expect too much from Singapore. But it hopes Singapore will take another look at close cooperation in the past, sound development in the future, and cherish the opportunities the relationship has made available.

Full Text below:

Taipei and Singapore lack formal diplomatic relations. Yet the relationship, friendship, and cooperation between Taipei and Singapore is even closer and older than between many diplomatic allies. Recently however, puzzling rumors about frictions between leaders in Taipei and Singapore have emerged. Friendship and cooperation between Taipei and Singapore is in the interest of both sides. But friendship and cooperation must be based on mutual respect and the preservation of each side's national interests. Healthy relations must be maintained by Taipei and Singapore together.

The public on Taiwan feels particularly close to Singapore. Both the Republic of China and the Republic of Singapore have predominantly Chinese populations. They have also engaged in long-term exchanges. Officially and unofficially, the two have remained extremely close. In earlier years, Singapore was concerned about anti-China sentiment in Indonesia. That is why it refrained from establishing diplomatic relations with Beijing. That is also why it was free to deal with Taipei. Former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew repeatedly visited Taipei, and enjoyed a close personal relationship with the late president Chiang Ching-kuo. Singapore lacked appropriate training sites for its military. The "Starlight Plan" solved the problem by enabling Singapore's military to train on Taiwan. The two sides also established channels for military cooperation.

In 1998, Singapore invited newly inaugurated President Lee Teng-hui to Singapore for a visit. Singapore established a diplomatic precedent for Republic of China Presidents visiting nations with which it had no diplomatic relations. Singapore served as a host for the Koo/Wang Summit. It played a positive role in promoting peaceful relations across the Taiwan Strait. The relationship between Taipei and Singapore has of course also suffered temporary setbacks, such as the Chen regime's "booger controversy." But more recently the two sides stabilized relations. Taipei and Beijing reconciled and signed ECFA. Singapore and Taipei signed an Economic Cooperation Agreement.

The general impression was that Singapore was very friendly to Taipei. This of course was why the recent rumors were so surprising. First rumors emerged that Shi Ya-ping, the ROC representative to Singapore, had offended Singapore's leadership and the two sides had broken off relations. Shi Yaping was transferred home. One reason offered was that he sang the national anthem and hoisted the national flag on National Day, and met with opposition parties. Another reason offered was that Shi Ya-ping forcefully demanded to see Lee Kuan Yew for economic and trade negotiations.

Both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Shi Yaping have denied such rumors. News emerged that Defense Minister Kao Hua-chu led a delegation to Singapore to participate in an aerospace exhibition. This provoked strong dissatisfaction in Singapore. Singapore even instructed the commander of the Starlight Forces to send a letter of protest to the ROC Ministry of Defense, terminating Taipei/Singapore military cooperation. The ROC government was scheduled to visit Singapore toward the end of February to conduct military exchanges. That too has been "postponed indefinitely."

The Ministry of Defense and the Minstry of Foreign Affairs have already issued denials. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed that Taipei and Singapore have close and friendly relations. They will continue to promote the Economic Partnership Agreement with Singapore. They said Taipei values its relationship with Singapore. The Ministry of Defense said that cooperation was not being terminated, The activities were merely undergoing adjustments.

Frankly, the truth of diplomacy often cannot be made fully public. What frictions if any actually arose between Taipei and Singapore? Both sides are likely treat them as top secret, They will trade blows privately, But to outsiders they will remain tight-lipped. The current rumors are not necessarily true. But they are not necessarily false either. News of Kao Hua-chu's visit to Singapore provoked a strong reaction from the Singapore government. According to some analysts, Singapore was putting on a show for Beijing's sake.

Relations between Taipei and Singapore have endured long term.. According to some analysts, this is because amidst exchange and cooperation, the two sides have been able to maintain and promote their own national interests, Also, the two sides have built up considerable mutual trust, cooperation, and friendship through past interactions. This result was not easy to achieve. It is a valuable legacy for both Taipei and Singapore. It is a relationship worth preserving. If Singapore has refused to deal with Shi Yaping and has broken off military cooperation with Taipei, they would be strong measures that will be difficult to counter. They would be inconsistent with the principle of proportionality. They would fail to consider the long tradition of relations between Taipei and Singapore.

News that Kao Hua-chu visited the Singapore Air Show was leaked by a legislator. It was not Kao Hua-chu's intent. Nor was it an act of malice on the part of the legislator. It may have been contrary to the two sides' long held tacit agreement. But the political and media environment on Taiwan is completely different from Singapore's. This was an isolated incident. It was neither deliberate nor malicious. It did not undermine bilateral cooperation. Will Singapore cut the military cooperation that it has maintained with Taipei over so many years? Even assuming it has, and that it was a pragmatic decision based on political expediency, the public on Taiwan will nevertheless perceive it as extremely hurtful.

State-to-state exchanges must be based on reciprocity. The purpose of diplomacy is to safeguard and promote the national interest. The considerations for each side will be different. But as long as each side respects the other's needs, the relationship will be mutally beneficial. The Taipei/Singapore relationship is not one-sided. Singapore is not Taipei's benefactor. Past exchanges and cooperation took place only because Singapore reaped certain desired benefits. Taipei must not expect too much from Singapore. But it hopes Singapore will take another look at close cooperation in the past, sound development in the future, and cherish the opportunities the relationship has made available.

維繫台星關係需要雙方共同努力
2012-02-29中國時報

台灣與新加坡雖然沒有正式邦交，但關係之友好、合作之密切，甚至超過了許多邦交國。擁有悠久邦誼的台星兩國，近來卻傳出不少風波，而且撼及高層，頗令人不解。台星之間的友誼與合作讓雙方互蒙其利，但前提是相互尊重並維護各自的國家利益，而雙邊關係的正面發展，需要台星雙方共同維護。

國人對新加坡特別有親切感，除了因為其人口大部分是華人外，兩國長期以來的交往，官方也好民間也罷，都十分密切。早年新加坡為了顧慮印尼反華的立場而沒有和中國建交時，與台灣來往較無顧忌，前總理李光耀多次來台，並且和我國故總統蔣經國私交甚篤。經由「星光計畫」，新加坡的軍隊在台灣進行訓練，解決了缺乏適當訓練場地的問題，雙方也建立軍事合作的管道。

新加坡曾經在一九八八年邀請剛繼任不久的李登輝總統前往訪問，開啟我國總統訪問無邦交國家之先例。接著又擔任「辜汪會談」的東道主，對促進兩岸和平交流扮演正面角色。當然，台星關係也曾經短暫受到「鼻屎風波」的影響，但雙方近年來各項交流穩定推動，在兩岸和解與ＥＣＦＡ簽署下，新加坡更與台灣洽簽經濟合作協定。

正是因為普遍的印象是新加坡對台灣相當友好，因此最近的幾項傳聞格外讓人驚訝。先是傳出我駐新加坡代表史亞平觸怒星國高層，雙方接觸中斷，史亞平更被調回國內。原因一說是國慶時唱國歌、掛國旗及與星國反對黨人士會面，一說是史亞平為經貿談判強行求見李光耀。

就在外交部與史亞平都對傳聞提出否認後，又傳出國防部長高華柱率團到星國參加航太展的消息曝光，引發星國強烈不滿，還派星光部隊指揮官至國防部宣讀抗議信，聲明中斷台星軍事合作。我方預定二月底要到新加坡交流的軍事考察團，也被告知「無限期延後」。

對此，國防部、外交部都已出面否認。外交部強調，台灣與新加坡關係密切友好，台星經濟夥伴協議在內的各項合作持續推動，強調台灣很珍惜與新加坡的關係。國防部也表示不是終止合作，而是對活動內容做一些調整。

坦白說，外交的真相常常不會完全公諸於眾，台星之間到底為了什麼事而發生了什麼磨擦，很可能雙方都會當成最高機密，私下過招連連，但對外守口如瓶。現在流傳的風聲不見得是事實，但也不見得不是。據分析，高華柱訪星消息曝光引發新加坡政府強烈反彈，可能是為了向中國大陸表態。

台星關係之所以能長期友好，固然因為雙方在各項互惠的交流合作中，都能維護並增進各自的國家利益，並且也因為在無數的互動過程中，累積出相互的信任與合作情誼，能夠經營出這樣的成果並不容易。無論是對台灣還是對新加坡，這都是一項難得的資產，也是值得珍惜並繼續推進的關係。新加坡拒絕史亞平以及中斷台星軍事合作，如果屬實，都是強度非常高的抵制措施，不僅不符比例原則，也似乎未將台星傳統邦誼納入慎重考量。

尤其，高華柱參觀新加坡航空展的消息，是被立委曝光的。這既非高華柱之蓄意，也不是立委有惡意。就算是違背了雙方長久以來的默契，但台灣的政治生態與媒體環境與新加坡完全不同，這只能說是一次意外的疏誤。既非蓄意，亦無惡意，更沒有要破壞雙邊合作。新加坡如果因此就切斷了和台灣多年來良好的軍事合作，就算這是在兩岸之間基於政治利害的現實選擇，但對台灣民眾來說，仍然是蠻傷感情的。

國與國的交往必然基於互惠，外交的目的在於維護並增進國家利益，但各自的考量點會有不同。只要各取所需並對等尊重，對雙方都有利。台星關係並不是一面倒地由新加坡方面施惠於台灣，過去推動各項交流合作，必然也因為新加坡能從中得到想要的利益。台灣不必對新加坡有一廂情願的過多期待，但也希望新加坡能多著眼過去的緊密合作，以及未來的良性發展，並珍惜其中的機會。