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Singaporean FM's words prompted by China, MOFA says

Pressure from China was one of the reasons Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo (楊榮文) warned Taiwan not to move toward independence at the UN General Assembly, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.

Singapore has felt tremendous pressure from China since its leader Lee Hsien Loong (李顯龍) visited Taiwan as deputy prime minister in July. Yeo made the remarks in the UN so that China "would feel more comfortable," ministry spokesman Michel Lu (呂慶龍) said.

At the 59th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, Yeo told world leaders the international community should not allow the deteriorating relationship across the Taiwan Strait to get out of control.

"The push towards independence by certain groups in Taiwan is most dangerous because it will lead to war with mainland China and drag in other countries. At stake is the stability of the entire Asia-Pacific region," he said.

Yeo said cross-strait relationship began to worsen after former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) gave "a shocking interview" to a Japanese magazine describing himself as Moses leading his people out of Egypt.

"From then on, cross-straits relations went from bad to worse as pro-independence forces in Taiwan became increasingly adventurous," Yeo said.

Like in the Middle East, the international community has a strong vested interest in supporting a peaceful resolution of cross-straits conflict, based on the "one China" position adopted and settled by the UN in 1971, Yeo added.

Responding to Yeo's comments, Lu said each country in East and Southeast Asia has a responsibility to contribute to the region's peace and stability. "But they should use even-handed approaches in dealing with Taiwan and China," he said.

"China has deployed many missiles aimed at us. Is that acceptable? Taiwan wants to defend itself. Is that wrong?" the spokesman said, appealing to the international community for fair treatment of Taiwan.

Lee Shen-hsiung (李勝雄), vice chairman of the World United Formosans for Independence, said Taiwan is an independent country and not ruled by China.

"Why can't Singapore, as an independent country, respect Taiwan as a sovereign nation?" he said.
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