Singapore envoy rejects Washington Post's story

Singapore's ambassador to the United States rejected an article in The Washington Post, asserting that his country adheres to its unwavering principles rather than take sides with the US or China.

"Singapore is a multi-racial and multi-religious country. Singapore's mainstream media, including Lianhe Zaobao, reflect our distinct societal concerns, cultural history and perspectives. They report local and global news for Singaporeans and play a crucial role in preserving the voices of our multi-cultural communities," said Lui Tuck Yew on July 26 in a letter to the US newspaper.

Lui was responding to the broadsheet's article titled "In Singapore, loud echoes of Beijing's positions generate anxiety", published on July 24. The newspaper gave a customary Western viewpoint of hyping up the "China threat" and suggested that China "accelerates efforts to build its global power" to counter the US.

The report criticized a perceived tilt in Singapore's policies toward China while neglecting to acknowledge the island nation's "extensive military and economic ties" with the US.

Lui, however, rejected the Post's claim, saying that "Singapore conducts its foreign policy based on our own interests. We do not pick sides but uphold consistent principles".

Lui cited a July 2022 poll by Singapore's Ministry of Communications and Information, which showed that 86 percent of Singaporeans felt their government should always act in Singapore's best interest and not take sides between the US and China.

The Washington Post has yet to respond by publishing the letter, which was posted on the official website of Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday.

"In the context of US-China competition, Western media, including The Washington Post, often present a skewed perspective on international news, portraying China as a formidable rival of the US", said Jia Duqiang, an associate researcher of Southeast Asian studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Despite Singapore's claim of maintaining a neutral stance, the vigor exhibited by Western media, notably amid current US-China tensions, seems to taint their coverage with a lack of objectivity, he said.

This tendency strays from the principled pursuit of impartial news reporting, and runs counter to the prospects of warming US-China ties in fostering a climate of stability in the post-pandemic world order, Jia said.