Netizens: China’s a big but petty nation with double standards

 
TL:DR – we need to be united so that we can’t be bullied!

Nine of our amoured personnel carriers (APCs) were impounded by Hong Kong. That sparked a whole lot of discussions online. Many people (including us and ambassador-at-large, Mr Bilahari Kausikan) have said a lot about this incident online.

Someone has collated some comments made in Chinese into a (fairly) coherent article. We think the article provides an interesting perspective on this issue. That’s why we have decided to translate these online comments into English for more people to read it:

新加坡知道自己的国土小，人口少，明白自己的长处短处，对自身的定位非常准确（英明的精英政府啊），不做大梦，不忌讳自己的小国身份心态，依靠而不依附强国（中美），政策务实而很少打肿脸充胖子讲面子，权衡利弊可以妥协但不亢不卑不损国格。

总的来看，作为一个游走在强国之间，被穆斯林国家包围，身处战略咽喉要地的弹丸小国，新加坡不仅生存下来，而且还发展的很不错，不能不说，这挺牛掰!

也正因为如此，新加坡必须借势生存，军事上依靠美国，但是也不敢完全倒向美国，新加坡的态度就是绝对不在美中之间二选一，因为明白二选一不管怎么选，自己都没好果子吃，利益最大化的方式就是和两强都作朋友。

从中国来说，新加坡也是个挺不错的朋友，小朋友。新加坡国父李光耀和小平同志也有很不错的私交，两个高瞻远瞩的伟大政治家，这才叫伟大的友谊，比马恩的基友情不知道高大上了多少倍~~~

对双方都有贡献又都有所保留……写到这里觉得这简直是乡村女神养备胎脚踩两只高福帅的策略阿……对，你这么理解就好了。

Singapore knows that we are a small country. We understand our own strengths and weaknesses. We are well aware of our own position in the world. We don’t overreach. Nor are we insecure that we are a small country. Singapore and the big powers (e.g. USA and China) depend on one another, but Singapore isn’t reliant on them. We are pragmatic and not pretentious. We are willing to negotiate with other countries to collectively advance our interests. But we are always principled.

That’s how we have not only survived but thrived. And it’s definitely no mean feat. We have to carefully negotiate amongst the big powers. We are surrounded by Islamic countries. We are a tiny country at a key strategic location.

That’s why we need to have strategic alliances in order to survive. We do have military ties with USA, but we definitely not a mouthpiece of USA. Our position has always been that we won’t choose sides between China and USA. Because we know that choosing sides aren’t beneficial to us. Rather, the best position is to be friends with both superpowers.

That’s why we try to be useful to both USA and China. Yet, we do not completely side with either side. Yes, at this point, it does sound like Singapore is like a lady two-timing two eligible bachelors. In some ways, that’s the correct way of understanding Singapore’s position.

Nevertheless, from China’s perspective, Singapore is actually quite a good, albeit small, friend. Our first prime minister, the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, and China’s Deng Xiao Ping are good personal friends. Both are great, farsighted political leaders.

中国以前不是常常鼓吹美帝国主义是”纸老虎”，为什么没胆对付美国，反而欺负弹丸小国的新加坡，新加坡也曾经帮助中国开放和走向世界的市场经济，中国大国如”小人”，恩将仇报，忘恩负义非君子也！

China has regularly claimed that USA’s neo-imperialism is like a “paper tiger”. If that’s the case, why doesn’t China directly fight against USA rather than bullying a small country like Singapore? Has China forgotten that Singapore has helped China open up and gain access to the global marketplace? China’s current actions make it seem ungrateful and petty!

对付美国，阁下不妨告诉大家，中国要如何对付美国？打经济战？封锁美国经济喉舌？对付的过特郎普算你们厉害。军事打战？开一枪就好了。连开枪都不敢…。

既然对付不了美国，照理看，你们觉得新加坡好打很多啦是吧？所以克拉运河，中巴铁路，马来西亚东海岸铁路还有马六甲港口，应该是你们的布局吧？

话说回来，中巴铁路，只是利益中国和巴基斯坦地方。但是不代表日韩还有其他国家要通过你们这里过去哦？即使是俄罗斯…。

克拉运河，撇开泰国政局不谈。

开了过后或许缩短其他国家航线。但是对于南半球国家，尤其印尼，澳洲和纽西兰，你要 他们如何不绕过新加坡直接过来克拉运河去北部过系啊？

然而克拉运河，马六甲海港，东海岸铁路根本不可能同时进行吧？开了克拉运河，等同马六甲海港，东海岸铁路作废了。这不是拿石头敲自己脚吗？之前说我诅咒，现在这样讲看到问题所在吧？

所以说有想过吗？好啦，就算不要开克拉运河，就只有马国发展好了。很多要对付新加坡计划，却忽略南半球国家仍然需要绕新加坡海峡。

再说，东海岸铁路，已经说过了，建成了，需要高成本的管理费，否则每年东北季候风，你们如何应付水灾和雨水冲击啊。然而成本高的维修费，实在发挥不了经济效应。

In reality, China doesn’t have a strategy to really fight against USA. What can they do? Fight economically? Shut down their economy? Let’s see if they can even handle Trump. And would China dare to go against USA militarily? Not likely. Is that why China chose to bully Singapore? Because Singapore’s a much easier target? Is that why China is planning so many projects (e.g. Kra canal, China-Pakistan rail link, and port in Malacca) to undercut Singapore’s interests?

That said, the China-Pakistan rail link will only affect China and Pakistan. Japan and Korea won’t have to use that, even if shipments are going to Russia. As for the Kra Canal, there are still many unknowns, not least the political situation in Thailand. But even if the Kra Canal is completed and shorten some navigation routes, many of the shipments from countries in the southern hemisphere (e.g. Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand) will still have to pass through Singapore before they reach the Kra Canal.

Also, is it possible for China to carry out all these mega-projects all at once? If China constructs the Kra Canal, wouldn’t that make the port in Malacca is a white elephant? Isn’t that shooting themselves in the foot? Can you see the problem here? Have they thought about this? Even if China drops the idea of the Kra Canal and just builds the port in Malacca, many of the shipments from countries in the southern hemisphere will still have to pass through Singapore.

As for Malaysia’s East Coast Rail Line project that China is financing and building, who will finance the maintenance? After it is built, it will be costly to manage and maintain. The monsoon rains will increase the costs of repairs and maintenance. Taken together, will it still be economically viable?

世界各国都要学习去和崛起的中国打交道，支持新加坡政府继续坚持以国家利益的前提下和世界各国继续保持友好关系。

That said, all countries need to learn how to maintain cordial relationships with a rising China. That’s why we should support Singapore’s efforts to continue being friendly to China and other countries while advancing our national interests.

新加坡对中国的友好已经是比大部分国家好多。但是如果对方无礼无法的攻击, 那是无法必免的。在这要新加坡学习的, 团结才是必免被急压和欺负的下长。

In reality, Singapore is already friendly to China compared to most other countries. But it is still unavoidable that, from time to time, China would unreasonably and lawlessly pick on Singapore. What we can do is learn and be untied so that we can avoid being bullied.
 

There, this issue is buzzing online amongst the Chinese communities in Singapore, and in case you don’t read Chinese, we hope this gives you a feel of what some of the netizens are feeling. Guess the concern over the matter is real, and the desire to come together and rally behind our own little red dot is also real.

We’ll leave you with this graphic that has been making its rounds these couple of days,