The head of Singapore's navy is now in Taiwan to preside over a ceremony marking a change of the commander of Singaporean troops in Taiwan, defense sources said yesterday.
Rear Admiral Lui Tuck Yew, a two-star general, is making his second trip to Taiwan in the past two months. Lui last came here with Singaporean senior minister Lee Kwan Yew in late September.
The new commander of Singaporean troops in Taiwan is a captain of the navy, who is replacing the former commander, an army colonel. The change is considered routine.
During his short stay here, Lui has met with some local military leaders. He is scheduled to leave in one or two days.
Lui's arrival here to preside over the change of commander signifies that military ties between Taiwan and Singapore have not been affected as a result of pressure from China, sources said.
China has been pressuring Singapore to sever military ties with Taiwan, promising much larger training grounds for the Singaporean troops. Hainan island is one of the possible locations for training facilities for the Singaporean military.
A defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he does not think Singapore will abandon Taiwan.
"Singapore has its own considerations. Its strategy has always been not to put all its eggs in one basket. We do not think it will completely cease military links with Taiwan," the official said.
For more than two decades, Singapore has been sending troops to Taiwan for training in various fields. Taiwan provides Singapore with training and facilities.
The Singaporean troops training here are mostly from the army.
In recent years, the number of Singaporean troops in Taiwan has been falling year by year as a result of what is believed to be efforts by China to change the status quo between Taiwan and Singapore.
RSS