China wants to improve its military relationship with Singapore, but is resolutely opposed to any country having defense ties with self-ruled Taiwan, China's Defence Ministry said on Thursday, obliquely criticizing Singapore's Taiwan links.
China is suspicious of the city state's good military relations both with the United States and Taiwan, claimed by China as its own.
Singaporean troops train in Taiwan, despite a lack of formal diplomatic relations between the two, which has been an irritant in China-Singapore ties.