Are China and Singapore Allying Against the United States to Control the South China Sea?

The battle for control of the South China Sea is creating unexpected alliances, and they could weaken American military presence in the region...

Relations between Singapore and China were strained in the past, but the two countries may be on friendlier terms now thanks to a meeting last week.

South China SeaOn Sept. 20, 2017, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien met with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Xi called Lee's three-day visit "a reflection of the closeness of the two countries' relations," according to Fox News.

And that could mean trouble ahead for the United States...

Why Singapore May Side with China Over the United States

Singapore doesn't claim territory in the South China Sea, but it's supported American military operations and diplomacy in the region. That could be changing...

In 2015, Singapore allowed the United States to use its territory to deploy a P-8 plane from the start of December until Dec. 14. Of course, the United States did not say they were monitoring the South China Sea, but the plane is used for reconnaissance.

And in 2016, Singapore backed a ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) that invalidated China's claim to the entire waterway.

The United States believes countries have a right of navigation through the waterway and that China should "live up to its obligations" after the PCA's rulings. But according to Fox News, Beijing rejected the ruling as null and void.

Now China is putting pressure on Singapore to stop siding with the United States...

China refused to invite Lee to its "Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation" in May because of Singapore's support of the U.S. presence in the South China Sea. At the forum, 29 foreign heads of state and government representatives discussed plans to build trade and transportation links between Asia, Europe, and Africa.

Must See: The South China Sea is about to get violent. But thanks to a small $6 U.S. defense firm with a top-secret new technology, China is about to be taken to the woodshed. Read more...

So why did China invite Singapore to Beijing just four months later to talk about the "closeness" of the two countries?

China may be trying a new tactic...

The September meeting could have just been a way for China to remind Singapore how much money China pours into its economy.

You see, Singapore exported $26 billion in goods to China in 2016. Losing China as an importer could cut Singapore's $297 billion GDP down by more than 8% and wreak havoc on its economy.

That means China has economic leverage over Singapore, and if China chooses to use it, then the United States could lose a crucial ally in the region.

Trump's Secret Weapon Against Chinese Aggression: Hostilities in the South China Sea now seem imminent, and the Trump administration could be on the verge of its first major crisis. But thanks to a small $6 U.S. defense firm with a top-secret new technology, China is about to be taken to the woodshed. Frankly, you have to see it to believe it...

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