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China lodges protest with Singapore over seizure of SAF armored vehicles
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Nine eight-wheeled Singapore-made Terrex infantry carrier vehicles seized at a container terminal in Hong Kong, Nov. 24, 2016. (AP/Kin Cheung)
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hina's Foreign Ministry said on Monday that it had lodged a protest with Singapore after the city state's armored troop carriers were seized by Hong Kong customs en route from Taiwan.
At a regular media briefing, ministry spokesman Geng Shuang reiterated that Beijing firmly opposed countries with diplomatic ties with China having official exchanges, including military cooperation and exchanges, with Taiwan.
He said China wants Singapore to strictly adhere to the One-China principle.
(Read also: Singapore military vehicles seized in Hong Kong)
Last Friday, a Hong Kong Customs spokesman said they had intercepted 12 containers of “suspected controlled items” bound for Singapore during “a routine ship search”. Nine military vehicles and other equipment were seized last Wednesday at the city’s Kwai Chung Container Terminal.
Singapore's Ministry of Defence said the cargo had “no ammunition or sensitive equipment on board”. A team from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) arrived in Hong Kong last Friday and met representatives of APL, the shipping line involved, on Saturday.
The SAF conducts overseas training in a dozen or so territories. In doing so, it hires commercial shippers to transport military equipment to and from Singapore.
(Read also: Singapore teams heads to Hong Kong to secure army carriers)
Mindef said the SAF vehicles seized have been moved to a secure area with access control. The vehicles and other equipment have been moved to the Hong Kong Customs depot at the River Trade Terminal, with the shipping containers that were opened for inspection resealed by the Hong Kong Customs, said Mindef.
