Singapore will not support Taiwan if China attacks the island in retaliation for any push for independence, Singapore's new Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Sunday, as tensions simmer on the Taiwan strait.
Lee, embroiled in a spat with China over his visit to Taiwan last month, said he was "very worried by the growth of Taiwanese independent forces" and that there was "a real risk of miscalculation and mishap" on the Taiwan strait.
"If a war breaks out across the straits, we will be forced to choose between the two sides," Lee said in his first policy speech since becoming premier on Aug. 12. "If the conflict is provoked by Taiwan, then Singapore cannot support Taiwan." Tensions are especially high between Taiwan and China because Beijing believes the island it views as a renegade province could push for formal statehood under President Chen Shui-bian. It is a move, China says, that can lead to war.
China is concerned Chen may push for formal independence during his second four-year term after his re-election victory in March. China's 2.5-million-strong People's Liberation Army is readying for a possible showdown.